Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Thibodaux Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Thibodaux, Louisiana 70302
Sunday, September 6, 2009 14:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While in a 3-foot hover the helicopter began an uncommanded roll to the right. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to arrest the roll by applying full left cyclic. Moments later the right landing skid made contact with the ground, followed by the main rotor blades. The helicopter came to rest in a right-side-low, upright position and the pilot was able to exit unassisted. The purpose of the flight was to perform an operational flight check of maintenance performed to the cyclic control system. The investigation revealed that the mechanic who had performed the maintenance had inadvertently switched two cyclic control tubes, of different lengths, during reassembly. This resulted in an out-of-rig condition in the cyclic control system. No other preimpact anomalies were noted with the helicopter's flight control system.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inability to maintain control due to the mechanic's inadvertent switching of two cyclic control tubes of different lengths during maintenance.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/6/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Thibodaux |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 70302 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 294452N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0904958W |
| Event Location Airport | Thibodaux Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | L83 |
| 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 | 9 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26268 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 3 2009 1:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N131EH |
| NTSB Number | CEN09LA571 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MESSERSCHMITT-BOELKOW-BLOHM |
| Aircraft Model | BO-105S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | S-595 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5731 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 15 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 16155 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ERA HELICOPTERS LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 6550 |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAKE CHARLES |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70606-6550 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | ERA HELICOPTERS LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | PO BOX 6550 |
| Operator City | LAKE CHARLES |
| Operator State | LA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 70606-6550 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | L83 |
| Departure City | Thibodaux |
| Departure State | LA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | L83 |
| Destination City | Thibodaux |
| Destination State | LA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 6 2009 2:58PM |
| User who most recently changed record | lebt |
| 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 | -- |