N974RH

Substantial
None

BELL 230S/N: 23020

Accident Details

Date
Thursday, March 17, 2011
NTSB Number
CEN11CA232
Location
Gulf of Mexico, LA
Event ID
20110317X02351
Coordinates
28.728889, -91.875831
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
1
Total Aboard
1

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the safety skirting during the repositioning landing.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
BELL
Serial Number
23020
Engine Type
Turbo-shaft
Year Built
1994
Model / ICAO
230B230
Aircraft Type
Rotorcraft
No. of Engines
2
Seats
11
FAA Model
230

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
TURBINES LTD
Address
140 19TH RD
City
WEST POINT
State / Zip Code
NE 68788-4506
Country
United States

Analysis

The pilot was asked to reposition the helicopter on the helideck to make room for a helicopter that was coming in to land. He performed a walk around inspection of the area, and was aware of the location and height of the helideck safety skirting. During the repositioning landing, the pilot felt a high frequency vibration and the helicopter began to shudder. After the accident, a piece of tail rotor skin was found lodged in the skirting. The tailrotor had impacted the skirting. Substantial damage occurred to the helicopter's tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter in reference to the accident flight.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN11CA232