On May 15, 2003, an Agusta A109E (registration N7YL) operated by CJ Systems was involved in an aviation accident near Harbor Creek, PA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper preflight inspection, during which he failed to remove a flashlight from the tailboom strake. A factor was the pilot's attention be diverted by a mechanic during the preflight inspection. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During preflight, a pilot placed a flashlight on the tailboom strake, was distracted by a mechanic, and forgot to remove it. After takeoff, vibrations prompted a precautionary landing; inspection revealed rotor blade damage from the flashlight.
Incident Details
During the preflight inspection of the helicopter, the pilot placed a flashlight on the tailboom strake. While performing the inspection, the pilot's attention was diverted by a mechanic, and he subsequently failed to remove the flashlight from the tailboom before departing.
After takeoff, the helicopter experienced a noticeable vibration. In response, the pilot performed a precautionary landing in a field. Following the landing, a thorough inspection of the helicopter was conducted.
Findings
The inspection revealed that the flashlight had struck and damaged both the main rotor blades and the tail rotor blades. The damage was directly attributed to the flashlight being left on the tailboom strake during flight.