Summary
On September 01, 2012, a Aerospatiale AS350 B2 (N178CH) was involved in an incident near Talkeetna, AK. 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 entanglement of a plastic tarp in the helicopter’s tail rotor after becoming dislodged from its securement.
The pilot landed a high skid, turbine-powered helicopter at a remote construction site, which contained several bags of cement that were covered by a plastic tarp. The plastic tarp was secured by a nylon strap that was wrapped around the bags. The pilot reported that after landing near the bags of cement, he retarded the engine throttle to flight idle to begin the mandatory 2-minute engine cool down procedure. During the engine cool down the pilot felt an abrupt airframe vibration, so he immediately closed the engine throttle, and did an emergency engine shutdown. A postflight inspection revealed that the plastic tarp had dislodged from the nylon strap, and it subsequently became entangled in the tail rotor hub and blade assembly.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ANC12CA100. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N178CH.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The entanglement of a plastic tarp in the helicopter’s tail rotor after becoming dislodged from its securement.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
The pilot landed a high skid, turbine-powered helicopter at a remote construction site, which contained several bags of cement that were covered by a plastic tarp. The plastic tarp was secured by a nylon strap that was wrapped around the bags. The pilot reported that after landing near the bags of cement, he retarded the engine throttle to flight idle to begin the mandatory 2-minute engine cool down procedure. During the engine cool down the pilot felt an abrupt airframe vibration, so he immediately closed the engine throttle, and did an emergency engine shutdown. A postflight inspection revealed that the plastic tarp had dislodged from the nylon strap, and it subsequently became entangled in the tail rotor hub and blade assembly. As a result, the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor drive system and tail boom. The pilot said there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the helicopter.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC12CA100