N193EH

On January 12, 2009, a Eurocopter AS350 (N193EH) was involved in an incident near Vermillion 229, USA. 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 maintain clearance from a known obstruction. Contributing to the accident was the location/placement of lightning rods in the landing zone.

According to the pilot, he was departing the heliport at the oil rig platform and had brought the helicopter into a low hover. While in the hover, the tail rotor struck a two foot vertical lightning rod attached to the platform edge causing damage to the tail rotor blades, horizontal stabilizer, wrinkling the tail boom, and displacing the tail rotor gear box. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter prior to impact. The pilot stated that he had observed the lightning rod placement during previous landings on the platform, as well during the current operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN09CA127. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N193EH.