ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 286632
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| Date: | Thursday 27 August 2009 |
| Time: | 07:45 LT |
| Type: |  Aerospatiale AS350B2 Ecureuil |
| Owner/operator: | Las Vegas Helicopters, Inc. |
| Registration: | N705LV |
| MSN: | 1878 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1985 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 13329 hours |
| Engine model: | Honeywell LTS101-700D-2 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Grand Canyon, Arizona -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Grand Canyon, AZ |
| Peach Springs, AZ (1G4) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot stated that six fare-paying passengers exited from the helicopter upon landing at the designated helipad adjacent to the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Thereafter, the pilot restarted the helicopter to pick up another load of passengers at the top of the canyon. Boulders had been situated around the perimeter of the helipad by the operator to assist in marking its location. The pilot stated that seconds after becoming airborne, and as he was maneuvering during a left clearing turn to depart the area, the helicopter's tail rotor impacted a perimeter boulder. The helicopter pitched nose down and began to violently shudder, vibrate, and oscillate right and left. The pilot immediately descended from a hover and landed with the helicopter remaining upright. The helicopter sustained damage to its tail rotor blades, a hole in the tail boom, drive shaft damage, and associated damage to the 90-degree gearbox.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a boulder during a low-altitude takeoff turn.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB WPR09LA420
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Oct-2022 13:44 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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