Accident Overview
On January 28, 2015, at about 1200 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28R-200 airplane, N54380, operated by Palm Beach Flight Training, and a Robinson R22B helicopter, N475AT, operated by Palm Beach Helicopters, collided while maneuvering for landing at Palm Beach County Park Airport (LNA) in West Palm Beach, Florida. The helicopter performed a precautionary landing to the runway, while the airplane executed a go-around and subsequently landed without further incident. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to one main rotor blade, while the airplane sustained minor damage to the cabin step. No injuries were reported among the occupants: the helicopter's flight instructor and private pilot receiving instruction, and the airplane's designated pilot examiner (DPE) and commercial pilot applicant.
Flight Operations
Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for either instructional flight, both conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. Radar data showed both aircraft operating in the traffic pattern for runway 33 at LNA. The airplane was performing left traffic patterns, while the helicopter was performing right traffic patterns. The helicopter maneuvered around the right pattern and was established on a shallow final approach for a run-on landing. At about the same time, the airplane was on the left downwind leg, with the applicant preparing for a simulated power-off landing.
According to the DPE, while the airplane had been conducting left traffic, he and the applicant observed other helicopters in the right pattern completing approaches parallel to and on the right side of runway 33. The DPE advised the applicant to continue the approach and landing. However, once the airplane turned from downwind to final, the DPE's view of the helicopter was blocked by the cabin and right wing.
Witnesses reported that the airplane overtook the helicopter from above, and they heard the contact. The helicopter then entered a rapid, controlled descent to the runway, while the airplane banked sharply, accelerated, and completed a go-around.
Personnel Information
The airplane applicant held a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land and reported 677 total flight hours, with 22 hours in the accident airplane make and model. The DPE held an airline transport pilot certificate with multiple type ratings and a flight instructor certificate, reporting 33,164 total flight hours, including 234 hours in the accident airplane type.
The helicopter flight instructor held commercial pilot and flight instructor certificates for airplane and rotorcraft, and reported 1,498 total flight hours, with 521 hours in the accident helicopter make and model. The helicopter student pilot held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land, reporting 265 total flight hours, with 12 hours in the accident helicopter type.
Aircraft and Airport Information
Palm Beach County Park Airport is not tower-controlled. Runway 15/33 is 3,421 feet long and 100 feet wide, located along the east side of the field. The grass area on the east side of the runway is approximately 200 feet wide. Postaccident examination revealed no mechanical issues that would have precluded normal operation of either aircraft.
Radio Communications
A review of recorded radio communications showed that the helicopter transmitted position reports on downwind, base, and final legs. The airplane transmitted only crosswind and downwind reports and did not announce its intentions or entry into the simulated power-off landing. On a previous approach, the helicopter had announced its intention to land in the grass abeam the runway, but before the collision, it announced only that it was "turning final" without specifying a shallow approach or run-on landing to the runway surface.
Regulatory Guidance
Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 91.126) state that each pilot of a helicopter must avoid the flow of fixed-wing traffic. The FAA Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) recommends that pilots at airports without operating control towers self-announce their position on downwind, base, and final legs of the traffic pattern to enhance safety.