- Date
- March 12, 1987, 13:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Opa Locka, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4507CHughes 364HS
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870312005829A
- Case key
- 31872
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot of the helicopter was executing a normal approach to the ground when as he neared the ground the ventral fin struck the ground. The tail rotor driveshaft re-centered and the pilot thought the accompanying shudder was a tail rotor failure, and landed the helicopter hard with forward ground speed. The aircraft then rocked forward and the main rotor blades struck the ground. The main rotor blades then slapped the tailboom as the aircraft rocked back.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4507C
- Reported as
- Hughes 364HS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4507335
- Airframe hours
- 2,778
- Engine
- Allison 250-C18, 250 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cruz Management Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 1, 1986 · 59 hours before
- Airport
- OPE · Opa Locka
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,934 total · 494 in this make and model · 255 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OPF, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4507C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.