Summary
On October 11, 2007, a Eurocopter EC 130 (N997PT) was involved in an incident near Bay St Louis, MS. 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 encounter with dynamic rollover as result of his inadequate preflight inspection.
The commercial pilot was distracted by a short conversation with another pilot during an early morning preflight inspection of the helicopter. Following the preflight inspection of the turbine powered helicopter, the commercial pilot attempted to takeoff with the right side tie-down strap still securing the helicopter to the ground. Approximately 2-to-3- feet above ground level (agl), the pilot felt a tug as the slack was removed from the strap and the helicopter entered a dynamic rollover. The main rotor blades impacted the ground and the helicopter began to spin to the left. The pilot lowered the collective and the helicopter landed hard before coming to rest in an upright position. The pilot was able to exit unassisted.
This incident is documented in NTSB report DFW08CA010. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N997PT.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's encounter with dynamic rollover as result of his inadequate preflight inspection.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The commercial pilot was distracted by a short conversation with another pilot during an early morning preflight inspection of the helicopter. Following the preflight inspection of the turbine powered helicopter, the commercial pilot attempted to takeoff with the right side tie-down strap still securing the helicopter to the ground. Approximately 2-to-3- feet above ground level (agl), the pilot felt a tug as the slack was removed from the strap and the helicopter entered a dynamic rollover. The main rotor blades impacted the ground and the helicopter began to spin to the left. The pilot lowered the collective and the helicopter landed hard before coming to rest in an upright position. The pilot was able to exit unassisted. An examination of the helicopter revealed that the tail boom sustained structural damage during the accident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DFW08CA010