McDonnell Douglas 600N N451DL

Summary

On 24 October 2001 at about 21:00 local time, a McDonnell Douglas 600N registered N451DL was involved in an accident near Laughlin, Nevada, United States. 6 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

24 October 2001 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Laughlin, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

35.1661, -114.5742

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas 600N

Registration

N451DL

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Laughlin → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX02LA016

Nobody was injured.

the manufacturer's failure to provide warning information and ground training about the possibilities of boom strikes by the rotor blades in windy conditions and low rotor rpm situations.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The McDonnell Douglas 600N helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and rotor blades during startup. The helicopter was parked on a formal helipad atop a 26-story building. After the pilot performed a routine preflight, he and the passengers boarded the helicopter for a local area flight. On engine startup, after about two revolutions of the rotor blades, three of the five blades contacted the tail boom. The pilot stated that the helicopter was pointed south, with the wind out of the north about 20 knots. The wind condition was not unusual for the area and location. The routine for a downwind liftoff was to perform a pedal turn into the wind for departure. The pilot stated that there is nothing in the Rotorcraft Flight Manual nor in the formal factory training for startup in windy conditions. Investigators reviewed the information in the Rotorcraft Flight Manual and found no limitations or restrictions concerning starting engines in strong wind conditions. According to FAA Aircraft Certification information, the helicopter complies with the minimum requirements for main rotor blade separation from the tailboom. According to an engineer in the Aircraft Certification Office responsible for the Type Certificate, the helicopter has a history of and is susceptible to main rotor strikes on the tailboom, if the main rotor rpm drops while the helicopter is either skidding to a halt, or is stationary in a strong wind.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.