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 Final 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
Analysis
During reloading operations for an agricultural flight, the nurse truck was parked on the right shoulder of a road, facing west. The helicopter was parked on the elevated helipad on top of the nurse truck, facing north, with the engine running and rotor blades turning. The helicopter's tail boom and rotor disk extended about 8-10 ft over the road. As the loader was reloading the helicopter's product tanks, a westbound semi-trailer truck drove underneath the rotor disk and struck the helicopter's tail boom. The semi-trailer truck driver said he thought he had enough clearance to pass safely under the helicopter's tail rotor. The pilot said that if the nurse truck had parked closer to an adjoining field, the platform would have a tilt, making it difficult to land for servicing. It is likely that the semi-trailer truck driver failed to ensure that he had adequate clearance to pass under the helicopter and that the loader failed to park in a safer area for the reloading operations.
Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
Failure of the truck driver to ensure that he had adequate clearance to pass under the helicopter and the failure of the loader to park in a safer area for reloading operations.
Findings
Personnel issues
Planning/preparation - Ground crew (Cause)
Task performance - Other/unknown (Cause)
Factual Information
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)
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