Summary
On August 12, 2007, a Bell 206 (N85TC) was involved in an incident near Houma, LA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to properly secure all loose items prior to takeoff.
The single-engine helicopter was conducting a round-robin flight between two offshore oil platforms. On the return flight, the pilot heard an unusual noise followed by "pronounced roughness in the tail rotor system." After a few seconds the roughness decreased and the pilot determined that the tail rotor was still functional. After landing, the pilot performed a post-flight inspection of the helicopter and discovered a metal wire wrapped around both sides of the tail rotor. Post accident examination revealed structural damage to the tail rotor blades, the tail boom, and the lower portion of the vertical fin assembly, including the tail skid. According to the pilot's statement a 3-foot-by-4- foot sunshade used to protect the cockpit windows, departed the helicopter during the flight.
This incident is documented in NTSB report DFW07CA185. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N85TC.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to properly secure all loose items prior to takeoff.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The single-engine helicopter was conducting a round-robin flight between two offshore oil platforms. On the return flight, the pilot heard an unusual noise followed by "pronounced roughness in the tail rotor system." After a few seconds the roughness decreased and the pilot determined that the tail rotor was still functional. After landing, the pilot performed a post-flight inspection of the helicopter and discovered a metal wire wrapped around both sides of the tail rotor. Post accident examination revealed structural damage to the tail rotor blades, the tail boom, and the lower portion of the vertical fin assembly, including the tail skid. According to the pilot's statement a 3-foot-by-4- foot sunshade used to protect the cockpit windows, departed the helicopter during the flight. The pilot reported that he had failed to properly secure the sunshade prior to takeoff, which inadvertently exited an open window and became entangled in the tail rotor system. The 11,944-hour airline transport rated pilot reported having accumulated 375-hours in the same make and model helicopter.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DFW07CA185