ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 138956
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| Date: | 04-OCT-2011 |
| Time: | 12:52 |
| Type: |  Eurocopter EC 120B Colibri |
| Owner/operator: | Department Of Homeland Security |
| Registration: | N3925A |
| MSN: | 1594 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | S of San Juan and Alamo, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | McAllen, TX (MFE) |
| McAllen, TX (MFE) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot and the supplemental crewmember were dispatched to provide aerial support for an on-going border patrol mission. The mission was delayed, so the pilot decided to make a no-hover landing to an unfamiliar grass field and sit idle (to conserve fuel) until needed. On approach, the pilot had too much forward speed for the no-hover landing and transitioned to a slow, running landing. Upon touchdown, the pilot said he used full aft cyclic to control the maneuver but did not remember what he did with the collective. The helicopter slid about 34 feet then pitched forward causing the helicopter's lower wire strike protection system and the main rotor blades to strike the ground. According to the operator's aircraft standardization manual, during a running landing, the pilot has to hold the collective stationary after ground contact to avoid any rapid pitch reductions. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems prior to the accident. He said the accident could have been avoided if he had conducted an approach to hover followed by a vertical landing or executed a go-around and re-attempted a no-hover landing.
Probable Cause: The pilot's improper use of the collective while landing, which resulted in an unrecoverable forward pitching moment. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper decision not to go-around.
Sources:
NTSB
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Oct-2011 00:22 | gerard57 | Added |
| 05-Oct-2011 00:54 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 05-Oct-2011 05:34 | RobertMB | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 11-Mar-2013 05:12 | TB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:26 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 27-Nov-2017 17:22 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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