Tusayan Heliport Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Tusayan, Arizona 86023
Saturday, August 7, 1993 17:03 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT OF N444CR HAD RETURNED TO THE COMPANY HELIPORT AFTER A TOUR FLIGHT, AND WAS CLEARED BY THE COMPANY CONTROL TOWER TO HOVER TAXI PAST A COMPANY HELICOPTER, N38903. N38903 HAD BEEN ADVISED TO HOLD FOR INBOUND N444CR, AND WAS LOADED WITH ROTORS AT MAXIMUM RPM AND FLAT PITCH. THE PILOT OF N444CR STATED THAT WHEN HE WAS ABEAM OF N38903, A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT HIM AND HE MESHED ROTORS WITH THE STANDING N38903. NO UNUSUAL WEATHER PHENOMENA WAS REPORTED BY EITHER THE CLOSEST OFFICIAL WEATHER STATION OR OTHER TOUR PILOTS AT THE HELIPORT. THE HELIPORT WAS OPERATING 5 HELIPADS, EACH WITH LESS THAN THE FAA RECOMMENDED MINIMUM SAFE DIMENSIONS BETWEEN NEIGHBORING PADS. THE TAXI ROUTE THAT N444CR HAD TO TAKE WAS BETWEEN A CHAIN LINK FENCE AND THE PAD WHERE N38903 WAS HOLDING. MEASUREMENTS SHOWED THAT N444CR HAD A 7-FT CLEARANCE BETWEEN ITS MAIN ROTOR AND BOTH THE FENCE AND N38903.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FAILURE OF THE PILOT OF N444CR TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE MAIN ROTOR CLEARANCE FROM N38903, AND THE OPERATOR'S FAILURE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE OR RECOMMENDED SAFE HELIPAD DIMENSIONS. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF VISUAL REFERENCE TO THE ROTATING BLADES OF THE PARKED HELICOPTER, N38903.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/7/1993
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1703
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City TUSAYAN
Event State ARIZONA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 86023
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? Yes
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport TUSAYAN HELIPORT
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1646 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 210
Weather Observation Facility ID GCN
Elevation of weather observation facility 6606
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 2
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 18000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 5000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 50
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 11
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 170
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 9
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious 3
Injury Total All 12
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1726
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 7 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1750
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Apr 7 2001 12:43PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number N444CR N38903
NTSB Number LAX93FA316A LAX93FA316B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed Company VFR Company VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage Destroyed Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BELL BELL
Aircraft Model 206L1 206L3
Aircraft Series Identifier 206L1 206L3
Aircraft Serial Number 45325 45325
Certified Max Gross Weight 4150 4150
Aircraft Category Helicopter Helicopter
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No No
Flight Crew Seats -- --
Cabin Crew Seats -- --
Passenger Seats -- --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 7 7
Number of Engines 1 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jul 26 1993 12:00AM Aug 3 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 66 20
Airframe Hours 7680 9649
ELT Installed Yes Yes
ELT Activated Unknown No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No No
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name PAPILLON AIRWAYS, INC. PAPILLON AIRWAYS, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 12515 WILLOWS ROAD, SUITE 200 12515 WILLOWS ROAD, SUITE 200
Aircraft Owner City KIRKLAND KIRKLAND
Aircraft Owner State WA WA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 98034 98034
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name PAPILLON AIRWAYS, INC. PAPILLON AIRWAYS, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code GCHL GCHL
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown Unknown
Operator Certificate Number -- --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Non-scheduled Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1703 1703
Departure Time Zone MST MST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Taxi Standing
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0 0
Runway Length -- --
Runway Width -- --
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --