Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
South Marsh Island #50 Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gulf Of Mexico, Louisiana 70511
Thursday, March 17, 2011 10:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was asked to reposition the helicopter on the helideck in an effort to clear a space for a helicopter that was coming in to land. During the repositioning landing, the pilot felt a high frequency vibration and the helicopter began to shudder. The pilot landed and after egressing the helicopter, discovered that a piece of tail rotor skin was lodged in the skirting; the tailrotor had impacted the safety skirting. The helicopter's tailboom sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the safety skirting during the repositioning landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/17/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1000 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Gulf of Mexico |
| Event State | LOUISIANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 70511 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 284344N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0915233W |
| Event Location Airport | South Marsh Island #50 |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PVT |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 955 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 285 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AXH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 68 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 195 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.21 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KAXH 171455Z AUTO 18006KT 140V200 10SM OVC011 21/1 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 28355 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-ASW-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 20 2011 11:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N974RH |
| NTSB Number | CEN11CA232 |
| 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 | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 230 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23020 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 8400 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 3 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4205 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C126 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | REPUBLIC HELICOPTERS INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8426 FM 2004 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SANTA FE |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 77510 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | REPUBLIC HELICOPTERS INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 8426 FM 2004 |
| Operator City | SANTA FE |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 77510 |
| Operator Code | R8HA |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 2TE1 |
| Departure City | Santa Fe |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 845 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | PVT |
| Destination City | Gulf of Mexico |
| Destination State | LA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 18 2011 7:32PM |
| User who most recently changed record | male |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |