N1060C – BELL 206 – 2015-10-20 NTSB Accident Report

On October 20, 2015, a Bell 206 (N1060C) was involved in an incident near Christmas Island, PO. 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 inadequate preflight inspection and the maintenance crew's failure to remove the tie down.

The helicopter was operating from the deck of a fishing vessel. When the helicopter is not in use, it is secured to the deck by four straps secured to the skids of the helicopter.

The pilot of the helicopter reported that he entered the helicopter for takeoff while the mechanic removed the tie downs from the helicopter. The pilot reported that when he tried to takeoff, one of the tie downs was still attached to the helicopter and the helicopter rolled to the right and impacted the helipad. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor, mast, and tail boom.

The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA16CA071. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N1060C.