Eurocopter EC 130 B4 N130AL

Summary

On 3 November 2011 at about 23:15 local time, a Eurocopter EC 130 B4 registered N130AL, operated by Sweetwater Helicopters LLC, was involved in an accident near Noblesville, Indiana, United States. 6 people were on board and 6 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 November 2011 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Noblesville, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

40.0217, -85.9583

Aircraft

Eurocopter EC 130 B4

Registration

N130AL

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Sweetwater Helicopters LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Wayne → Indianapolis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

CEN12LA053

6 people had minor injuries.

The hard landing the pilot performed with a quartering tailwind, leading to the helicopter's rollover. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s reliance on a weather service that did not provide a primary weather product.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that before departure, he checked two internet weather services for his flight’s weather briefing. The weather forecast indicated visual meteorological conditions for the entire flight. The internet weather service used by the pilot contained a disclaimer stating the service “is not a substitute for an official flight briefing.” The weather was reportedly good until 10 miles north of the destination, where the flight encountered rain and low ceilings. The onboard radar indicated that weather had deteriorated behind the route of flight and along the proposed route of flight. Weather conditions continued to deteriorate and the pilot elected to perform a precautionary landing with a quartering tailwind. About 30 feet above the ground, the helicopter settled rapidly. The pilot added power to slow the descent and the helicopter made a firm landing with about 10 knots of forward speed. The right skid then dug into the soft field and the helicopter rolled onto its right side. A ground fire subsequently ensued. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter during the flight. The helicopter’s Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) stated that the primary source of preflight weather briefings is an individual briefing obtained from a briefer. Other sources include the internet-accessed Direct User Access Terminal System. The AIM advises that weather services provided by entities other than Federal Aviation Administration, National Weather Service (NWS), or their contractors may not meet quality control standards; the internet sites the pilot referenced were not supported by these entities. The AIM also indicated all "flight-related, aviation weather decisions must be based on primary weather products" that meet regulatory requirements. Prior to departure the NWS was reporting instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) in the destination area and an AIRMET for IMC was current for the route of flight that extended over the accident site.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.