Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Butterworth Hospital Heliport Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
Thursday, May 29, 2008 11:01 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The air ambulance helicopter was departing from a hospital heliport that was located on the 11th story of the hospital during an FAA Part 135 check. Before takeoff, the pilots discussed the construction cranes that were operating on the north side of the hospital and their effect on the approach and departure routes to the pad. The pilot reported that he lifted the helicopter straight up into a vertical takeoff. The torque was about 94 percent and "everything was nominal." The helicopter was about 40 feet in the air when the pilot heard a "pop" and the helicopter started to yaw to the right and vibrate. He attempted to land back on the helicopter pad by using the cyclic and lowering the collective, but the main rotor blades impacted the 32-foot high brick structure located east of the helicopter pad. The helicopter fell straight down impacting the hospital roof. Witnesses observed the helicopter lift off the helipad and then fly backwards until the tail rotor hit a tower on top of the roof. A hospital security video camera showed the helicopter fly backwards as it lifted off the helicopter pad. It showed that the tail rotor appeared to strike an object on one of the towers, and the tail rotor immediately shattered and the helicopter went into a right yaw. A camera that was mounted on one of the towers exhibited impact marks and carbon fibers were found lodged in a crevice of the camera body. Based on the analysis of the accident site, the helicopter traveled about 61 feet straight-line distance rearwards at an angle of about 41-51 degrees relative to the hospital pad. The time from takeoff to impact with the camera was about 11.37 seconds. The inspection of the helicopter revealed no preexisting anomalies that would preclude normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain tail rotor obstacle clearance from a tower during takeoff.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/29/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1101 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Grand Rapids |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 49503 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 425251N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0853122W |
| Event Location Airport | Butterworth Hospital Heliport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MI97 |
| 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 | 746 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1053 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GRR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 794 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 22000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.25 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24728 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 29 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2008 3:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | guzj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-Detroit FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N176SH |
| NTSB Number | CHI08FA141 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SIKORSKY |
| Aircraft Model | S-76A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 760260 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10500 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 8 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5195 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Spectrum Health Hospitals |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Grand Rapids |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 49503 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Aero Med Spectrum Health |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 100 Michigan NE |
| Operator City | Grand Rapids |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 49503 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GRR |
| Departure City | Grand Rapids |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1040 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| 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 | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 20 2008 12:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | silj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | Yes |
| Medical Flight | -- |