N430WH

Substantial
None

BELL 430S/N: 49114

Accident Details

Date
Sunday, December 21, 2014
NTSB Number
ERA15CA081
Location
Miami Gardens, FL
Event ID
20141224X24922
Coordinates
25.959999, -80.237220
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
7
Total Aboard
7

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot's misjudgment of his helicopter's position relative to a parked helicopter during a pedal turn.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
BELL
Serial Number
49114
Engine Type
Turbo-shaft
Year Built
2006
Model / ICAO
430B430
Aircraft Type
Rotorcraft
No. of Engines
2
Seats
10
FAA Model
430

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
AVIATION TRUST COMPANY LLC TRUSTEE
Address
PO BOX 950876
City
OKLAHOMA CITY
State / Zip Code
OK 73195-0876
Country
United States

Analysis

According to the pilot, he flew a "normal" approach to the helicopter pad, then hover-taxied to the parking area. Two other helicopters were parked at the far edges on opposite sides of the parking area. Following a procedure that had been developed over the previous 10 years and executed over 20 times without incident, the pilot hover-taxied into the center position and began a pedal turn to align the helicopter with the others. About 90 degrees through the pedal turn, the tail rotor of the pilot's helicopter contacted a main rotor blade tip of one of the parked helicopters, resulting in substantial damage to a tail rotor blade. The pilot completed the pedal turn and landed uneventfully. The pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA15CA081