Aerospatiale AS350B3 N5224R

Summary

On 26 August 1999 at about 20:33 local time, a Aerospatiale AS350B3 registered N5224R, operated by American Eurocopter, was involved in an accident near Long Beach, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 August 1999 at 20:33

Classification

Accident

Location

Long Beach, California, United States

Nearest airport

Long Beach (LGB)

Coordinates

33.7897, -118.1202

Aircraft

Aerospatiale AS350B3

Registration

N5224R

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

American Eurocopter

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Van Nuys → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX99LA284

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the pilot to maintain clearance with the fence while landing. A factor was the failure of the helipad to meet the obstacle clearance design criteria specified in FAA Advisory Circular guidance.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that a linesman directed him toward the center one of three transient parking helipads next to a small perimeter fence. All three helipads were empty. As he approached the pad, the pilot became concerned about obstructions and about exposing his tail rotor to a taxiway beyond his view. He performed a left pedal turn over the pad to bring the nose around to face the taxiway. He reported that the linesman made a 'hands-down motion' and walked away. The pilot assumed he was clear to touchdown. As he touched down, the tail rotor contacted the helipad's perimeter fence. The nose of the helicopter yawed left and the pilot performed a hovering autorotation. The tail rotor blades were destroyed and the tail boom was buckled. The distance from the center of the helipad parking space to the fence was measured at 23 feet. The distance from the main rotor mast to the end of the tail stinger on the AS350B3 is just over 23 feet. According to the parking space requirements outlined by FAA A/C 150/5390-2A, the fence was supposed to be no closer than 10 feet to any part of the helicopter. The fence was found to be within the tail rotor clearance area specified in the Advisory Circular. There was insufficient room for the helicopter to make a 180-degree turn, assuming it stayed on the center point of the parking space.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.