Summary
On August 05, 2012, a Bell 407 (N429PH) was involved in an incident near San Antonio, TX. All 4 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained minor damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a tower guy wire during the approach to a helipad at night.
On August 5, 2012, at 0331 central daylight time, a Bell 407 helicopter, N429PH, sustained minor damage when it contacted a tower guy wire while it was on approach to the helipad at the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC), San Antonio, Texas. The pilot, flight nurse, flight paramedic, and patient were not injured. The emergency medical services EMS helicopter was registered to and operated by PHI, Inc., under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was on a company visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN12IA518. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N429PH.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a tower guy wire during the approach to a helipad at night.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On August 5, 2012, at 0331 central daylight time, a Bell 407 helicopter, N429PH, sustained minor damage when it contacted a tower guy wire while it was on approach to the helipad at the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC), San Antonio, Texas. The pilot, flight nurse, flight paramedic, and patient were not injured. The emergency medical services EMS helicopter was registered to and operated by PHI, Inc., under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was on a company visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. The flight departed from the College Station Medical Center, College Station, Texas, at 0302.
The operator reported that the helicopter was on a visual descent to the SAMMC helipad when the helicopter's left skid contacted a tower guy wire, located northeast of the helipad, which resulted in a portion of the left skid separating from the helicopter. The pilot declared an emergency and diverted to the San Antonio International Airport (SAT), San Antonio, Texas. The operator reported that there was no malfunction or system failure of the helicopter before the incident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN12IA518