BELL 430
Miami Gardens, FL — December 21, 2014
Event Information
| Date | December 21, 2014 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | ERA15CA081 |
| Event ID | 20141224X24922 |
| Location | Miami Gardens, FL |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 25.96000, -80.23722 |
| Airport | Dolphin Stadium Helipad |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | BELL |
| Model | 430 |
| Category | HELI |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 7 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's misjudgment of his helicopter's position relative to a parked helicopter during a pedal turn.
Full Narrative
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.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.