Eurocopter France AS350B1
Linden, NJ — March 4, 2008
Event Information
| Date | March 4, 2008 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | MIA08CA072 |
| Event ID | 20080318X00322 |
| Location | Linden, NJ |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 40.61694, -74.24000 |
| Airport | LINDEN |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | Eurocopter France |
| Model | AS350B1 |
| Category | HELI |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's improper preflight preparation and his failure to maintain control of the helicopter.
Full Narrative
The pilot stated that he was taking off from a dolly for a track and balance maintenance flight. He said that while hover taxiing the right door blew open. Shortly thereafter, he noticed that his clipboard was about to fall out of the helicopter. He quickly tried to transfer his left hand to the cyclic so that he could use his right hand to stop the clipboard from falling. He said that he put in too much aft cyclic and the tail guard struck the ground. Examination by a FAA inspector revealed that the tail boom was buckled. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies prior to the accident
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.