MD Helicopters 369 N500SC

Summary

On 26 June 2019 at about 20:37 local time, a MD Helicopters 369 registered N500SC, operated by South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, was involved in an accident near Summersville, South Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one 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

26 June 2019 at 20:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Summersville, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Summerville (DYB)

Coordinates

33.0622, -80.2808

Aircraft

MD Helicopters 369

Registration

N500SC

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1989

Engines

1

Operator

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Summersville → Summersville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA403

1 person had minor injuries.

The copilot’s disabling of the flight controls of an operating helicopter without telling the pilot on the controls, which resulted in a subsequent loss of control and collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot, seated in the left seat, reported that he taxied and landed the helicopter on a taxiway after completing a mission. After landing, the copilot, seated in the right seat, disembarked with the passenger to request fuel from the fixed-base operator. The copilot returned to the helicopter without boarding and instructed the pilot to reposition the helicopter to the airport's refueling station because the fuel truck was inoperative. Once the copilot was clear of the helicopter, the pilot brought the helicopter to a hover, but the helicopter began to spin clockwise. He then applied left pedal, but the helicopter continued to spin and climbed about 7 ft above ground level. The pilot stated that, after two revolutions, he realized that the right-seat, left antitorque pedal was "chocked" and added that he was not aware that the copilot had "chocked" the pedals. He immediately initiated an autorotation, but the helicopter's tail rotor and main rotor blades struck the ground. The copilot reported that, after exiting the cockpit, while the pilot had positive control of the flight controls, he chocked the pedals on the right side by removing the left antitorque pedal, rotating it 180°, and reinstalling it, which prevented full travel of the left antitorque pedal on both sides of the cockpit. He added that he did not tell the pilot he had chocked the pedals and that he did not know why he chocked the pedals. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main and tail rotor systems and tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.