N25PM

On April 17, 2009, a Bell 206 (N25PM) was involved in an incident near West Palm Beach, FL. 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 aircraft control during taxi, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.

According to the pilot, he landed the helicopter in a swampy area adjacent to a pier, then water-taxied close to the pier to allow his passenger to disembark. The pilot was aware of tall PVC pipes near the tail rotor. After the passenger stepped out onto the pier, the pilot maneuvered the helicopter by sliding it to the right, with the intention of then turning into the wind and departing. As the helicopter was sliding, the left float began to lift up, and he corrected with full left cyclic. The helicopter continued to slide to the right; it then rolled onto its right side, resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor blades. The pilot reported that wet mud may have accumulated around the right float and a dynamic rollover occurred.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA09CA249. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N25PM.