BELL 230
Gulf of Mexico, LA — March 17, 2011
Event Information
| Date | March 17, 2011 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | CEN11CA232 |
| Event ID | 20110317X02351 |
| Location | Gulf of Mexico, LA |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 28.72889, -91.87583 |
| Airport | South Marsh Island #50 |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | BELL |
| Model | 230 |
| Category | HELI |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the safety skirting during the repositioning landing.
Full Narrative
The pilot was asked to reposition the helicopter on the helideck to make room for a helicopter that was coming in to land. He performed a walk around inspection of the area, and was aware of the location and height of the helideck safety skirting. During the repositioning landing, the pilot felt a high frequency vibration and the helicopter began to shudder. After the accident, a piece of tail rotor skin was found lodged in the skirting. The tailrotor had impacted the skirting. Substantial damage occurred to the helicopter's tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter in reference to the accident flight.
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.