1 Sep 2016: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA 429 NO SERIES — NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

1 Sep 2016: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA 429 NO SERIES — NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

No fatalities • Rikers Island, NY, United States

Probable cause

The pilot’s overcontrolling of the helicopter during an aborted slope landing from a hover, which resulted in a main rotor blade strike.

— NTSB Determination

Accident narrative

The pilot was landing the helicopter on a nose-up slope when he "noticed the helicopter started to tilt aft." As the pilot "immediately" increased collective pitch and applied forward cyclic to abort the landing, 3 of 4 main rotor blades struck the wire strike protection system on the cabin roof, which resulted in substantial damage to the blades. Representatives from the helicopter manufacturer inspected the helicopter, replaced the 3 damaged rotor blades, and the helicopter was returned to service. According to the pilot, there were no mechanical deficiencies with the helicopter that prevented normal operation.

Contributing factors

  • cause Pilot
  • cause Related operating info
  • Effect on operation

Conditions

Weather
VMC, wind 090/08kt, vis 10sm

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