History of Flight
On August 27, 2009, at about 0845 mountain standard time, an Aerospatiale AS350 B2 Ecureuil, registration N705LV, impacted a boulder during a takeoff maneuvering turn from the Grand Canyon based Ramada helipad. The helipad is located about 2.1 miles northeast of Grand Canyon West Airport (1G4) in Grand Canyon, Arizona. The airline transport certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged.
The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a positioning flight to pick up an additional passenger load at 1G4. The helicopter was operated by Las Vegas Helicopters, Inc., based in Boulder City, Nevada, performing commercial air tours under the name Stars & Stripes Air Tours. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that earlier that day he had departed from Boulder City Municipal Airport, Nevada, with six fare-paying passengers on a "Skywalk Deluxe" tour flight under FAR Part 135. The 35-minute flight to the Ramada helipad was uneventful. After landing, the pilot shut down the engine, the passengers exited, and he escorted them to a trail head. He then returned to the helicopter for a solo flight to 1G4 where additional passengers were waiting.
The company had no ground crew at the Ramada helipad. The pilot was familiar with the helipad and aware that boulders partially demarcated its perimeter. He planned to take off in a southerly direction; the helicopter was facing north at liftoff. Seconds after becoming airborne, during a left clearing turn, the tail rotor impacted a perimeter boulder. The helicopter pitched nose down, shuddered, vibrated, and oscillated. The pilot descended from a hover and landed; the helicopter remained upright.
Personnel Information
The 63-year-old pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate for rotorcraft-helicopter, with commercial privileges for single- and multi-engine land airplanes and instrument airplane, and sport pilot privileges for weight-shift-control land aircraft. His certified flight instructor certificate for rotorcraft-helicopter expired in 1989.
The pilot reported 9,164 total flight hours, including about 1,600 hours in the accident model. In the preceding 90 days, he flew 164 hours (97 in accident model); in the preceding 24 hours, he flew 4.3 hours. He resumed line pilot duties the day prior after 3 days of rest and stated he was in excellent health.
Aircraft Information
The helicopter was manufactured in 1985 with serial number 1878, and a total airframe time of 13,329 hours. It was originally equipped with a Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 engine, but the operator reported the engine had been replaced with a Honeywell LTS101-700D-2 engine. That engine had a total time of 8,776.9 hours and was last inspected 71.7 hours before the accident.
Meteorological Information
The pilot reported wind from about 175 degrees at 3 knots, clear skies, and unrestricted visibility.
Wreckage Examination
The helicopter sustained damage to its tail rotor blades, a hole in the tail boom, drive shaft damage, and associated damage to the 90-degree gear box.
Medical Information
Following the accident, the pilot was tested for alcohol and drug usage per employer procedures; no alcohol or drugs were detected.
Additional Information
Accident Notification
The pilot did not have a radio capable of communicating with his operations base at the Ramada helipad. The helipad was unattended with no witnesses. After the accident, the pilot walked to a neighboring operator's facility near the Colorado River and requested its personnel report the mishap to their 1G4 operations base. The neighboring operator had been unaware of the mishap. At about 0910, the neighboring operator radioed its 1G4 base, which notified Stars & Stripes personnel. The National Transportation Safety Board was not notified until 1340.
Remedial Actions
Las Vegas Helicopters, Inc., reported taking the following actions: (1) larger perimeter boulders at the Ramada helipad were removed; (2) pilots at the helipad were issued cellular telephones to communicate with operations base; (3) the company's flight following and accident notification protocol was enhanced to ensure timely notification to appropriate authorities in future mishaps.