Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Bell OH-13H/M74A, N10009: Accident occurred July 25, 2016 in Minonk, Woodford County, Illinois

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Springfield, Illinois

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board:  https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:  https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

http://registry.faa.gov/N10009

Location: Minonk, IL
Accident Number: CEN16LA284
Date & Time: 07/25/2016, 1050 CDT
Registration: N10009
Aircraft: TEXAS HELICOPTER CORP OH 13H/M74A
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Ground collision
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 137: Agricultural 

On July 25, 2016, about 1050 central daylight time, a Texas Helicopter OH-13H/M74A, N10009, was substantially damaged when it was struck by a passing semi-trailer truck during reloading operations near Minonk, Illinois. The pilot, loader, and truck driver were not injured. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Hendrickson Flying Service, Rochelle, Illinois, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an agricultural application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan for the local flight had been filed.

The agricultural application nurse truck was stationary and parked on the right shoulder of a paved rural county road, facing west, and was completely clear of the roadway surface. The helicopter was parked on the elevated helipad on top of the nurse truck with the helicopter's engine operating and the rotor blades turning. The nose of the helicopter faced north, and the helicopter's tail boom and rotor disk extended about 10 feet over the road.

A loader was standing on top of the elevated helipad and had just finished reloading the helicopter's product tanks. A westbound semi-trailer truck drove underneath the rotor disk and struck the helicopter's tail boom. The impact resulted in the complete separation of the aft half of the tail boom, and turned the helicopter 30° from its position on the helipad. The helicopter remained upright and remained on the top of the helipad. The loader also remained standing on top of the helipad. The right exhaust stack and top right edge of the truck trailer was crushed. The right side of the cab and the cargo cover and frame to the trailer were also damaged.

The truck driver told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that he thought he had enough clearance to pass safely under the helicopter's tail rotor. He maintained that the accident was not his fault. The pilot was asked why the truck was positioned so that the helicopter's tail boom was extended 10 feet over the highway. He replied that if he had parked closer to an adjoining field, the platform would have a tilt, making it difficult to land for servicing.

After examining the accident site, the inspector noted that were other flat areas in the vicinity but considered too far from the field being sprayed. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: TEXAS HELICOPTER CORP
Registration: N10009
Model/Series: OH 13H/M74A
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Year of Manufacture: 1979
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Restricted
Serial Number: 79-032
Landing Gear Type: Ski;
Seats: 1
Date/Type of Last Inspection:
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2450 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: Installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: VO-435 A1F
Registered Owner: HENDRICKSON FLYING SERVICE INC
Rated Power: 200 hp
Operator: HENDRICKSON FLYING SERVICE INC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Agricultural Aircraft (137)
Operator Does Business As: HENDRICKSON FLYING SERVICE
Operator Designator Code: HNKG

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KPNT, 659 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 17 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1055 CDT
Direction from Accident Site: 71°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 4 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: /
Wind Direction: 330°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 30.02 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 26°C / 23°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Minook, IL (NONE)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Minook, IL (NONE)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time:
Type of Airspace: Class G 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude:  40.832778, -88.968889 (est)

NTSB Identification: CEN16LA284
14 CFR Part 137: Agricultural
Accident occurred Monday, July 25, 2016 in Minonk, IL
Aircraft: TEXAS HELICOPTER CORP OH 13H/M74A, registration: N10009
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On July 25, 2016, about 1050 central daylight time, a Texas Helicopter Corp OH-13H/M74A, N10009, was substantially damaged during loading operations near Minonk, Illinois. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Hendrickson Flying Service; Rochelle, Illinois, as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural application flight. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan for the local flight had not been filed.

The westbound agricultural application nurse truck was stationary and parked on the right shoulder of a paved rural county road and was completely clear of the roadway surface. The helicopter was parked on the elevated helipad on top of the nurse truck with the helicopter's engine operating and the rotor blades turning. The nose of the helicopter was oriented to the north, and the helicopter's tail boom and the rotor disk then extended over the north edge of the east-west paved road.

While the loader was standing on top of the elevated helipad and reloading the helicopter's product tanks, a westbound 18-wheeler truck drove underneath the rotor disk and impacted the helicopter's tail boom. The impact resulted in the complete separation of the aft half of the tail boom and dislodged the helicopter from its position on the helipad. The helicopter remained upright and remained on the top of the helipad. The uninjured loader also remained standing on top of the helipad.

The driver of the 18-wheeler truck was not injured, but the right exhaust stack and the top right edge of the trailer showed damage which corresponded to the impact with the helicopter's tail boom.

The closest official weather reporting station was at KPNT, Pontiac, Illinois; located 17 miles east from the accident location, At 1055 the Automated Surface Observation System at KPNT, reported wind from 330 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 26 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 23 degrees C, with an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of Mercury.

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