Bell 222B N309CH

Summary

On 8 April 2009 at about 22:06 local time, a Bell 222B registered N309CH, operated by Central Helicopter Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Gulf of Mexico, Texas, United States. 5 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

8 April 2009 at 22:06

Classification

Accident

Location

Gulf of Mexico, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Scholes International Airport (GLS)

Coordinates

31.0547, -97.5629

Aircraft

Bell 222B

Registration

N309CH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

2

Operator

Central Helicopter Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Gulf of Mexico

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09LA252

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstructions while landing on a shipboard helipad.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While landing on the “winch only” deck of a ship at anchor in the Gulf of Mexico, the helicopter’s tail rotor struck a valve assembly protruding from the ship’s deck. The helicopter yawed approximately 60 degrees nose-right, then struck the ship’s side rail with the helicopter’s tail and came to rest upright on the deck. There was substantial damage to the helicopter’s fuselage, tail boom, horizontal stabilizer, tail rotor blades, tail rotor hub, and tail rotor gearbox. The pilot and four passengers were not injured and exited the helicopter normally through the doors on the right side of the helicopter. There were no injuries to any of the persons on board the ship.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.