Incident Overview
On August 2, 2008, about 1735 eastern daylight time, a Eurocopter AS-350-B3 helicopter, registration N204TU, operated by the United States Customs and Border Protection as a public use flight, was substantially damaged during a hard landing on a platform at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base near Mount Clemons, Michigan. The flight was conducted in visual meteorological conditions and was not on a flight plan. No injuries were reported.
Flight Details
The flight originated at 1643 from the Saint Clair County International Airport in Port Huron, Michigan. The purpose of the flight was routine operations. After returning from the flight, the helicopter landed on a designated platform. During the initial landing, the helicopter was positioned too far aft on the platform, as discovered after shutdown.
Accident Sequence
The pilot then restarted the helicopter and lifted off to reposition it on the platform. During the second approach to the platform, the pilot removed his hand from the collective control to turn off an audio radio. When the pilot returned his hand to the collective, he inadvertently lowered the collective, causing the helicopter to descend and strike the ground. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the helicopter.