McDonnell Douglas MD500 N8371F

Summary

On 18 November 2014 at about 15:30 local time, a McDonnell Douglas MD500 registered N8371F, operated by Haverfield International Inc, was involved in an accident near Decatur, Alabama, United States. 2 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

18 November 2014 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Decatur, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

34.7144, -87.1561

Aircraft

McDonnell Douglas MD500

Registration

N8371F

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1990

Engines

1

Operator

Haverfield International Inc

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

External Load

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Decatur → Decatur

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15CA055

Nobody was injured.

An undetermined pilot's failure to maintain clearance from an electrical transmission tower resulting in substantial damage to a main rotor blade. Postaccident investigation could not determine which of two pilots was flying the helicopter at the time the damage occurred.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the operator, a preflight was completed before the helicopter was moved to the landing zone and no anomalies were noted. The helicopter was then equipped with an aerial platform and measuring equipment to perform the planned work in the vicinity of powerlines. Subsequently, the helicopter departed the landing zone. Due to the atmospheric condition at the aerial work site, the pilot discontinued the aerial work and returned to the landing zone. A "senior" pilot was consulted, and replaced the first pilot. The "senior" pilot decided to depart and assess the situation from the air. A short time later the flight returned to the landing zone. The first pilot performed a "short" postflight examination of the helicopter and noticed that a main rotor blade was substantially damaged. The operator reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. In addition, neither pilots nor crew members noticed any abnormal flight characteristics of the helicopter prior to discovering the main rotor blade damage. The investigation was unable to determine which flight the main rotor blade incurred the substantial damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.