- Date
- July 11, 2009, 11:34 local (18:34 UTC)
- Place
- Burlington, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N302PDBell 206B
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Inflight upset
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090711011739A
- Case key
- 74259
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter while attempting to lift off from a trailer. The helicopter subsequently impacted the ground and rolled over.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was returning from an aerial application flight in the local area. As he neared the flatbed trailer that he intended to utilize as his landing zone, he noticed that there was a right crosswind of about 5 knots. Just prior to touchdown he felt the helicopter move to the left and subsequently contact the trailer. He attempted to lift off from the trailer by adding right cyclic and increasing the collective. The helicopter rolled to the right, resulting in the main rotor blades contacting the ground and substantial damage to the main rotor assembly, tail rotor assembly, and the tail boom. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he was returning from an aerial application flight in the local area. As he neared the flatbed trailer that he intended to utilize as his landing zone, he noticed that there was a right crosswind of about 5 knots. Just prior to touchdown he felt the helicopter move to the left and subsequently contact the trailer. He attempted to lift off from the trailer by adding right cyclic and increasing the collective. The helicopter rolled to the right, resulting in the main rotor blades contacting the ground. The main rotor blades then impacted the tail boom resulting in its separation from the fuselage. The helicopter came to rest on its right side in a nose high attitude. Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor assembly, tail rotor assembly, and tail boom. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N302PD
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3801
- Airframe hours
- 14,493
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20 SER, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Farm & Forest Helicopter Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Farm & Forest Helicopter Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 15, 2009 · 61 hours before
- Departed
- Burlington, WA
- Destination
- Burlington, WA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KBVS · Skagit Regional Airport
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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 8, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 474 total · 80 in this make and model · 399 as pilot in command · 73 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KBVS, 3 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 24, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 807 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.