N917PD

Substantial
None

BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA 429S/N: 57148

Accident Details

Date
Thursday, September 1, 2016
NTSB Number
ERA16CA313
Location
Rikers Island, NY
Event ID
20160913X10345
Coordinates
40.786388, -73.878608
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
6
Total Aboard
6

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot’s overcontrolling of the helicopter during an aborted slope landing from a hover, which resulted in a main rotor blade strike.

Aircraft Information

Registration
Make
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA
Serial Number
57148
Engine Type
Turbo-shaft
Year Built
2013
Model / ICAO
429B429
Aircraft Type
Rotorcraft
No. of Engines
2
Seats
9
FAA Model
429

Registered Owner (Current)

Name
NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
Address
FLOYD BENNETT FIELD (NY22)
City
BROOKLYN
State / Zip Code
NY 11234
Country
United States

Analysis

The pilot was landing the helicopter on a nose-up slope when he "noticed the helicopter started to tilt aft." As the pilot "immediately" increased collective pitch and applied forward cyclic to abort the landing, 3 of 4 main rotor blades struck the wire strike protection system on the cabin roof, which resulted in substantial damage to the blades. Representatives from the helicopter manufacturer inspected the helicopter, replaced the 3 damaged rotor blades, and the helicopter was returned to service. According to the pilot, there were no mechanical deficiencies with the helicopter that prevented 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# ERA16CA313