- Date
- December 6, 2013, 09:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Monticello, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2066WMcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 14, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20131206023869A
- Case key
- 88536
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 passenger's accidental discharge of the net gun which resulted in the net going through a main rotor blade.
Findings · 1
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 reported that he took off and hovered about 100 feet above the ground when the net gun, which was held by the passenger, accidentally discharged. The helicopter started to vibrate; the pilot landed the helicopter uneventfully and shut it down. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed the net went through one of the main rotor blades and damaged the others. There were no reported preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he took off and hovered about 100 feet above the ground when the net gun, which was held by the passenger, accidentally discharged. The helicopter started to vibrate; the pilot landed the helicopter uneventfully and shut it down. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed the net went through one of the main rotor blades and damaged the others. There were no reported preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2066W
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0536E
- Built
- 1997
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20 SERIE, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Drangonfly Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- K & S Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Monticello, UT
- Destination
- Monticello, UT
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,050 total · 700 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 7 °F, dew point 3 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- CNY, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 28, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 89 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.