Bell 430 N430WH

Summary

On 21 December 2014 at about 17:45 local time, a Bell 430 registered N430WH, operated by Southern Aircraft Services Inc, was involved in an accident near Miami Gardens, Florida, United States. 7 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

21 December 2014 at 17:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Miami Gardens, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Dolphin Stadium Helipad (0FD2)

Coordinates

25.9600, -80.2372

Aircraft

Bell 430

Registration

N430WH

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2006

Engines

2

Operator

Southern Aircraft Services Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Stuart → Miami Gardens

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15CA081

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's misjudgment of his helicopter's position relative to a parked helicopter during a pedal turn.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he made a "normal" approach to a helipad and subsequently hover-taxied to the parking area. Two other helicopters were parked on opposite sides of the parking area, and per existing procedures, the pilot hover-taxied his helicopter to the center of the parking area and commenced a pedal turn to align it with the others. About 90 degrees through the turn, a tail rotor blade from the pilot's helicopter impacted a main rotor blade tip on one of the parked helicopters, resulting in substantial damage to the tail rotor blade. The pilot subsequently completed the turn and landed without further incident. The pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.