Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Laughlin, Nevada 89029
Wednesday, October 24, 2001 14:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The McDonnell Douglas 600N helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and rotor blades during startup. The helicopter was parked on a formal helipad atop a 26-story building. After the pilot performed a routine preflight, he and the passengers boarded the helicopter for a local area flight. On engine startup, after about two revolutions of the rotor blades, three of the five blades contacted the tail boom. The pilot stated that the helicopter was pointed south, with the wind out of the north about 20 knots. The wind condition was not unusual for the area and location. The routine for a downwind liftoff was to perform a pedal turn into the wind for departure. The pilot stated that there is nothing in the Rotorcraft Flight Manual nor in the formal factory training for startup in windy conditions. Investigators reviewed the information in the Rotorcraft Flight Manual and found no limitations or restrictions concerning starting engines in strong wind conditions. According to FAA Aircraft Certification information, the helicopter complies with the minimum requirements for main rotor blade separation from the tailboom. According to an engineer in the Aircraft Certification Office responsible for the Type Certificate, the helicopter has a history of and is susceptible to main rotor strikes on the tailboom, if the main rotor rpm drops while the helicopter is either skidding to a halt, or is stationary in a strong wind.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the manufacturer's failure to provide warning information and ground training about the possibilities of boom strikes by the rotor blades in windy conditions and low rotor rpm situations.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/24/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Laughlin |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89029 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 350926N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1141522W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1245 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KIFP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 600 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 27000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 20 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.98 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 6 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14623 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Operator |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 25 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 30 2003 8:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Las Vegas, NV |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N451DL |
| NTSB Number | LAX02LA016 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | McDonnell Douglas |
| Aircraft Model | 600N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | RN-042 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4100 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 8 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 51 |
| Airframe Hours | 451 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | D.J.L. Properties |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Baker |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97814 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | Laughlin |
| Departure State | NV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Other |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 12 2003 3:23PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |