N860AL – SIKORSKY S76 – 2018-02-18 NTSB Accident Report

On February 18, 2018, a Sikorsky S76 (N860AL) was involved in an incident near New Iberia, LA. All 5 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The helicopter’s striking of a pothole while taxiing, which resulted in the right main landing gear collapsing.

The pilot reported that while the co-pilot was taxiing the wheel-equipped helicopter to the runway for departure, he saw a "bump" on the concrete. The co-pilot reported that he attempted to stop before the "bump", which turned out to be a pothole, but the helicopter struck the pothole with the right main landing gear, which collapsed. The pilot and the co-pilot both reported that the taxi speed was less than 5 knots.

The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the internal fuselage structure.

The Director of Operations reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA18CA138. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N860AL.