No fatalities

Helicopter Main Rotor Blades Struck by Fuel Truck During Cool Down

Price, UT, United States

On February 8, 2017, a HUGHES OH 6A NO SERIES operated by USDA APHIS WS ATOC was involved in an aviation accident near Price, UT. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The fuel truck driver’s failure to stop before impacting the helicopter’s main rotor blades. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 13 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1785761257Data APIEditorial standards

While a helicopter was in a two-minute cool-down after landing to refuel, a fuel truck approached from the rear and struck the main rotor blades, causing substantial damage.

Event Overview

A helicopter pilot reported that after landing to refuel, the aircraft's power was reduced to flight idle and a two-minute cool down was initiated before the engine would be shut off. Approximately one minute into the cool down, a fuel truck approached the helicopter from the rear and struck the main rotor blades.

Damage

The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades as a result of the collision.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Flight service personnelEffect on operation