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Airport Name Airport ldent

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NATtONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOA=

PlLOTlOPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT This Form To Be Used For Reportinq Civil Aircraft Accidents

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RunwaylLanding Surface And Conditions: 1. Direction: 3,. Width:

2. Length: 4.Suriace: 5. Condition:

Stall Warning System Installed 1.O.bYes 2 . m No Engine Manufacturer Engine(*) ' D a t e o f M f g . EngineNo. 1 Engine No. 3 Engine No, 4 EngineNo.2 1 . 0 Annual

2 . 0 Manufacturer's Inspection Program

IFR Equipped EngineType

1 . 0 Yes 1. 0 Reciprocating<arburetor 3 . 0 Turbo Prop 5. Q Turbo F a n

2.gKNo 2 . 0 Reciprocating-Fuellnjected 4 . 0 TurboJet 6 . 0 TurboShah

Engine MadellSeries Engine Rated Power Type Of Fire Extinguishing

System Used 2. Specify

1. s horsepower 1 . 0 None

2. ~ Lbs. Thrust

Mfg.SerklNo. TotalTime Time Since Inspection T i m e S i n c e O v e r h a u l ~

Hours Hours Hours

Hours Hours Hour!

Hours Hours Houri

Hours Hours H* 1 . 0 Annual 2.G lOOHour Emergency Locator Tr."+fllitter ( M r O N I Timesince Last Inmection

ELT Manufacturer ModellSerias Serial Number Battery Date

IM.ON)

.

(ELTI S w i t c h Operated

1 . 0 On 2 . 0 Off 3 . 0 Armed 1 . 0 Yes 2 . 0 No

Aided In Accident Location 1 . 0 Yes 2 . 0 No

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Registered Aircraft Owner -/Address -

I Operator Of Aircraft 1 . 0 SameAsRegistered Owner 2. Name 3 DBS: Address 1 . 0 SameAsRegisieredOwner 2 .

Ratingls)

1 . 0 None 6 . 0 Helicopter

2 . 0 SingleEngineLand 7 . 0 Glider

3 . 0 SingleEngineSea 8 . 0 Free Balloon

4 . 0 MultiengineLand 9 . 0 Airship

5 . 0 MultiengineSea 1 0 . 0 Gyroplane

Type RatingslStudent Endorsements

(MIDIY) 3 . 0 Class2 Medical Certificate 1 . 0 None 6 . 0 lnstrumentAirpla& 3 . 0 Helicopter Limitetionr 2. Model DateCHBirth Waivers - 2 . 0 C l a s s 1 4 . 0 Class3

Degree Of Injury

1

Seatoccupied

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SeatBelt Available

1 . 0 None 3 . 0 Serious

2 . 0 Minor 4 . 0 Fatal

1 . 0 Left 3 . 0 Center 5 . 0 Rear

2 . 0 Right 4 . 0 Front

1 . 0 Yes 2 . 0 No

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SeatBelt Shoulder H s r n e u Shoulder Harness Source Of Pilot Flight Timelnformation

used Available used 1 . 0 PilotLogbook 4 . 0 Company

1 . 0 Yes 1 . 0 Yes 1 . 0 Yes 2 . 0 OperatorsEstimate 5. Specify

2 . 0 No 2 . 0 No 2 . 0 No 3 . 0 FAARecords

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Flight Time A l l N C & M o d e l SingleEngine Multiengine Night Actual

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Simulated Rotorcraft Glider Than Air Total Time

Pilot In Command (PIC)

-

ThisMake Airplane Airplane instrument Lighter

Last 90 Days

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I

I

I

I

I

Last 30 Days

Last 24 Hours

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I

I

I

I

I

1

I

I

Dther Personnel

H Weather Was Involved. State H Weather Briefing Was Obtained O r H M a t h e r Reports Were Checked And How R Was Accomplished

Fuel On Board AtLastTakeoff FuelType

Gallons 1. 0 80187 4 . 0 1151145 7. Specify

Pounds 3 . 0 1001130 6 0 Automotive

or 2 . 0 100 Low Lead 5 . a J e i A

4 . 0 Overcast _ _ Feet AGL 5 . 0 Partial Obscuration Aircraft TypelModel Aircrah Manufacturer 6 . 0 Obscurred 3 . 0 Broken-Feet AGL Wind Information

1. Direction RsstriciionTo Visibility Type Precipitation Intensity Of Plecipitation

2. Velocity __ KTS 3. Gusts _ _ KTS Turbulence fMultiDia e n t w i 1 . 0 Light 3 . 0 Heavy 2 . 0 Moderate 4. Specik

__

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DegreeOfAircraft Dame ge 1 . 0 Destroyed 3 . 0 Minor 2 . 0 Substantial 4 . 0 None

1 . None ' 2: 0 L i g i i 3. 0 Moderate 4. 0 Severe 5. 0 Extreme 6. 0 Clear Air 7 . 0 in Clouds

3gistered Aircrah Owner "

i.0 None 2 . 0 Minor 3 . m Substantial 4 . 0 Destroyed

Address

1 . 0 Yes 3 . 0 In-Flight

I

2.m N o 4 . 0 OnGround

I Jescription 01 Damage T o Aircraft And Other Property

Under carriage was completely destroyed from the hard landing. Main rotor struck the ground and was destroyed. Main rotor blades struck the cockpit, cabin and tailboom.

.[fp Yes ListTheNameOfThePart. Manufacturer.PartNo.. SerialNo. And DescribeThe Failure

3 Outside Personls) 3 . 0 Slide 5 . 0 Ladder

] Auxiliaw Lighting 4 . 0 Rope 6. 0 Specify - 1 1 0 ~ ~

'thod M Exit (State Approximate Number Of Persons Using Each of The Following) ilain Door _b 2. Auxiliary Door __ 3. Ememencv Exit _{I .} __

. . ., , .. . ., . .

, .,

. . . . . ... . . . :ommendation (How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented) . ' . . . .. ..

idditional Flight C-mbe.r '. %. ..,;'. . .

or Each Additional Flight Crew Member, Exclurivs M Cabin Ananentr Complete The Following Information:

IatingrtEndorrementr

dame

I

FAACertificate No,

. @ Student '.n Private

_I--._. Total FllghtTime

Address

3 . 0 Commercial 5. Flightlnstructor 7 . 0 Foreign

4. n AirlineTrarrspoR 6 . 0 FlightEngineer 8. Specify

IetingrlEndorsements

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Total FlightTime FlightTime Thls Accident

I I I

lame FAACertrficate No Address . ' ' _ 'ITiie

ature Of The Accident. Describg S h e

Of Departure, Intended Destination A n d Services Obtained.

(see attachment B )

I

Signature Of Person Filing Report Other Than Pilotloperstor

1. Signature

2. Type Or Print Name

3. Title

Page 6

Attachment B

At approximately 07:30 am September IS* 2000 Helicopter N17754 departed McCarran Airport Las Vegas for a sightseeing trip to the Grand Canyon, Arizona with six

passengers on board. Weather was clear with light winds. At approximately 13 minutes into the flight while climbing to clear Wilson ridge, 4 miles East of Hoover Dam, the pilot noted a loss of RPM. Altitude was approximately 1000 feet AGL, airspeed 70 knots, and torque 90% No other indications of a loss of power were present. As engine power continued to decrease the pilot elected to enter autorotation. As he turned to the South away from the ridge, he saw a road (Kingman Wash Road), and maneuvered towards that. The pilot noted during the descent that the rotor RPM was within the green arc. During the initial deceleration the pilot noticed that the low rotor warning was sounding. The aircraft landed about 1% short of the road, and came to rest on the side of a natural wash. The incline of the wash was about 45 degrees, with the high side to the right of the nose of the aircraft. The main rotor blades, in succession, struck the hillside, ejecting one of them 600 feet from the aircraft, the remaining ones striking the cockpit and tail boom. The right side cabin door fell off the aircraft and the passengers exited through this exit There were no witnesses in the area

STATEMENT

N17754

Sikorsky

S-55,

Hard Landing, September 18, 2000. Louis E. Hall, Airline Transport Pilot (ATP)

48445622

Subject: Pilot:

Began as a normal workday. I had a good nights sleep and woke up at 515 A.M., walked the dog, cleaned up, had breakfast, drove to and signed in for work at Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters at

6:30

A.M. I was assigned the tour helicopter N17754 (Sikorsky S-55) for the day and my first flight was a two hour and forty five minute “Champagne Tour”. I’ve been a helicopter pilot for

25

years and have flown the

S-55

for one year and 11 months. I called the Federal Aviation Administration Flight Service Station at 6:45 A.M. for a standard briefing and was told the weather was forecasted as a clear VFR day with light winds.

Went to the flight line and started the preflight inspection. The refuel truck arrived and I requested a standard load. This is a full forward fuel tank and

40

gallons in the aft fuel tank. During the checks the engine chip light illuminated and I notified base who notified maintenance. Daniel Vhalos (Papillon Airframe and Powerplant mechanic for the S-55) arrived within a few minutes and inspected the engine chip detector and he said he noted very fine metal particles that were within limits. He cleaned and reinstalled the chip detector and the chip detector light was extinguished. The preflight inspection was completed and I notified Papillon Base that I was ready. I

was told to go ahead and crank for a standard “hot load (a routine loading of

passengers while the helicopter rotors are turning at Right idle rotations). All aircraft operational checks were normal. Six passengers were safely loaded and received the final Safety Brief. The driverlloader handed me the manually completed passenger manifest which showed a light load of English speaking guests and I began my tour narration. The pilot narrates to the passengers throughout this tour.

Tropicana Two Departure and we completed a normal rolling takeoff from the western helicopter pad to the east. I increased power to 90% engine torque and climbed to the required

3000

feet msl eastbound over Tropicana Boulevard. The flight was continued at cruise torque of 80% on the standard helicopter route south of Lake Mead to the

Hacienda Casino at

3000

feet msl (mean sea level). I routinely complete a scan of all instruments over the River mountains and everything indicated normally. At the

Hacienda Casino a slow descent was initiated and the standard left “S-turn” at the Hoover Dam was made at approximately

2600

feet msl.

I

increased engine torque to

90% and began a climb as I departed the Hoover Dam on the Nevada side, crossed Lake Mead, and headed northeast bound on the standard tour route to Indian Pass on Wilson Ridge, Arizona. The other two Papillon AS-350 A-Stars had already called and passed me and were in the vicinity of Indian Pass.

All aircrawengine instruments and flight indications were normal until about one mile south of Fortification Hill, which is about half way from the Hoover Dam to Indian Pass. At about 8:OO A.M. and approximately

3000

feet msl I was surprised with a sudden drop of engine and rotor noise. With no warning light indications, the aircraft began a descent with a corresponding decrease in engine and rotor rpm. I immediately

lowered the collective power lever to maintain rotor rpm, verified that the throttle was at full rpm, and initiated forced landing procedures to the right and maintained airspeed as required between 50 and 70 knots. I quickly assessed that the best forced landing area would be landing south, uphill, on the Kingman Wash Road, if I could make it. I

did not turn off any switches or close the throttle. Sometime during the descent I faintly remember the engine out audio coming on. As I maneuvered the helicopter to the right I

attempted two radio calls on our company frequency on the aircraft FM radio with no reply. While on short final I realized that I did not have enough altitude to touch down on the road and prepared for an engine out landing on the dirt bank northeast of the road. I applied maximum pitch prior to the helicopter and rotors impacting the bank on the side of the road at slow forward speed. After landing the helicopter remained

upright. The main rotors quickly stopped and I noticed the strong smell of jet fuel. I saw all six of the passengers exiting the right side of the helicopter and climbing up the bank to the road 30 feet away. I immediately turned off all the aircraft switches and exited the helicopter to the right.

forehead and eyebrow. Another man had a cut on his forehead. One lady stated that her back was beginning to hurt after a few minutes. Other than that the other

passengers appeared to have light scrapes and scratches and were able to walk around. I encouraged them to sit down and gave them water. I had a cut on my right eyebrow.

After ensuring all passengers were all right I called Papillon base operations in Las Vegas on my personal Sprint PCS phone (the company provided cell phone was breaking up and not able to maintain clear communications). I notified the operator of the hard landing, the nature of the injuries, my location, and requested a helicopter pickup. I was then told my Lead Pilot, Ken Stewart, was on his way in an A-Star. Ken arrived shortly after in an A-Star with S-55 mechanic Danny Vhalos and shutdown the helicopter. All six passengers and myself walked up the dirt road to the A-Star. Danny helped me load the six passengers onto the helicopter. Ken cranked up and took off

for to Las Vegas. Danny and I returned to the hard landing site and secured it from traffic traveling on the road.

Grand Canyon Helicopters in Las Vegas) and Dean Brant (Maintenance Manager for Papillon in Las Vegas). Rick and Dean exited the helicopter and stayed at the hard landing site. Danny and I strapped into the A-Star with Ken and returned to Las Vegas. After landing, Mary Worster (Customer Service Manager) drove me to receive medical treatment for my right eye (5 stitches) and then for the required postaccident drug and alcohol testing. Afterwards I was released by the Lead Pilot, Ken, to clean the jet fuel

off me, write this statement, and recover from the effects of shock from the landing.

I checked my passengers and began first aid. One man had a cut on his

Ken returned shortly after with Rick Carrick (Vice President of the Papillon

Louis E. Hall Papillon Pilot