1998-06 · NASA ASRS report 406486
PLT OWNER OF A SINGLE ENG CESSNA; WHICH WAS TIED DOWN IN A PERMANENT PARKING SPOT AT AN UNCTLED ARPT; WAS NOTIFIED OF A HELI HOVERING NEARBY DURING PARKING THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO HIS ACFT'S TAIL SECTION. PRELIMINARY ACFT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE RUDDER HAD BEEN DISPLACED PAST ITS STOPS.
MY CESSNA IS TIED DOWN AT BANNING ARPT. ON JUN/THU/98; A HELI ARRIVED AT THE ARPT; HOVERED NEAR; AND LANDED BEHIND MY ACFT. EMPLOYEES OF COMPANY X NOTICED THAT THE DOWNDRAFT FROM THE HELI SHOOK AND RATTLED THE EMPENNAGE; ESPECIALLY THE RUDDER; OF MY ACFT SO VIOLENTLY THAT ONE OF THEIR JET PLTS WHO HAS THOUSANDS OF HRS ALSO IN FLYING HELIS STATED THAT MY ACFT SHOULDN'T BE FLOWN WITHOUT A THOROUGH INSPECTION. APPARENTLY THE ARPT ATTENDANT WAS NOTIFIED AT THE TIME OF THIS EVENT AND NO ACTION WAS TAKEN. MR X OF COMPANY Y KNEW IT WAS MY PLANE AND PHONED ME ABOUT XA00 ON THAT DAY AND ADVISED ME OF THE EVENT AND HIS PLT'S COMMENTS. I WENT TO THE ARPT THE NEXT MORNING AND ASKED THE ATTENDANT WHY THE HELI WAS ALLOWED TO TAXI; HOVER; AND PARK IN THE LIGHT ACFT TIE-DOWN AREA; WHY THE PLT WASN'T INSTRUCTED WHERE TO PARK; AND ASKED IF HE GOT THE 'N' NUMBER OF THE HELI. THE ANSWER TO THOSE QUESTIONS WERE 'I DON'T HAVE THE AUTH TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO OR WHERE TO PARK; AND NO; I DIDN'T GET THE 'N' NUMBER. 2 A&P MECHS HAVE ALREADY INSPECTED THE EMPENNAGE OF MY PLANE AND FOUND THAT THE SEVERE BANGING BACK AND FORTH OF THE RUDDER FORCED THE RUDDER PAST ITS NORMAL ALLOWED TRAVEL CAUSING A DENT IN THE SKIN OF THE RUDDER. IT'S DIFFICULT TO ASSESS IF THERE IS ANY RIVET OR HINGE DAMAGE OR CRACKS; BUT PRELIMINARY INSPECTION DIDN'T FIND ANY.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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