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Cpr helicopter landing jra has to hover at 50 ft to allow another helicopter to land. Uneventful landing. On subsequent return flight advised downwash had caused the rotor blade of SK76 to strike the ground. Aircraft was inspected and flown to maintenance base for further inspection.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 354888 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199612 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : jra |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | S-76/S-76 Mark II |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 69 flight time total : 5129 flight time type : 2164 |
| ASRS Report | 354888 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 8700 flight time type : 45 |
| ASRS Report | 354605 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground critical |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
I made my approach to jra. I was assigned landing/parking spot aa by the helicopter operator. There was an SK76 parked and shut down on spot bb, additionally another SK76 had just landed and was running on spot cc. My approach heading was 060 degrees. I terminated my approach to a high hover between spots dd and aa. Then I made a left peddle turn to face the hudson river and proceeded to land on spot aa. After remaining on spot aa for approximately 8 mins, we departed jra. Approximately 30 mins later we returned to jra. At this time I was the PNF. The helicopter operator notified us that on our previous approach and landing we had caused one of the main rotor blades of the SK76 parked on spot bb to flex and contact the ground. I feel that the wind direction and speed increased our rotor wash and may have contributed to this incident, as well as the close proximity of the parking spots. A representative from the manufacturer inspected the blade and spindle for damage. There was not any damage found during this inspection, except a small scuff mark on the rotor blade tip cap. The aircraft was released for flight. All of the heliports in the ny city area are confined areas with numerous approachs and lndgs being made similar to this approach and landing. This was a routine operation in the ny city area. Crew coordination was conducted during the operation with the PNF observing the parked SK76 during the approach and peddle turn. One action to correct this problem could be the remarking of the heliports using one less parking spot. This will allow more space between aircraft, along with reduced rotor wash wind speeds that could affect parked aircraft. This was the second incident of this type at jra. Until this incident, we were unaware of SK76 rotor blades being able to flex and contact the ground with the droop stops in place.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CPR HELI LNDG JRA HAS TO HOVER AT 50 FT TO ALLOW ANOTHER HELI TO LAND. UNEVENTFUL LNDG. ON SUBSEQUENT RETURN FLT ADVISED DOWNWASH HAD CAUSED THE ROTOR BLADE OF SK76 TO STRIKE THE GND. ACFT WAS INSPECTED AND FLOWN TO MAINT BASE FOR FURTHER INSPECTION.
Narrative: I MADE MY APCH TO JRA. I WAS ASSIGNED LNDG/PARKING SPOT AA BY THE HELI OPERATOR. THERE WAS AN SK76 PARKED AND SHUT DOWN ON SPOT BB, ADDITIONALLY ANOTHER SK76 HAD JUST LANDED AND WAS RUNNING ON SPOT CC. MY APCH HDG WAS 060 DEGS. I TERMINATED MY APCH TO A HIGH HOVER BTWN SPOTS DD AND AA. THEN I MADE A L PEDDLE TURN TO FACE THE HUDSON RIVER AND PROCEEDED TO LAND ON SPOT AA. AFTER REMAINING ON SPOT AA FOR APPROX 8 MINS, WE DEPARTED JRA. APPROX 30 MINS LATER WE RETURNED TO JRA. AT THIS TIME I WAS THE PNF. THE HELI OPERATOR NOTIFIED US THAT ON OUR PREVIOUS APCH AND LNDG WE HAD CAUSED ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES OF THE SK76 PARKED ON SPOT BB TO FLEX AND CONTACT THE GND. I FEEL THAT THE WIND DIRECTION AND SPD INCREASED OUR ROTOR WASH AND MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT, AS WELL AS THE CLOSE PROX OF THE PARKING SPOTS. A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE MANUFACTURER INSPECTED THE BLADE AND SPINDLE FOR DAMAGE. THERE WAS NOT ANY DAMAGE FOUND DURING THIS INSPECTION, EXCEPT A SMALL SCUFF MARK ON THE ROTOR BLADE TIP CAP. THE ACFT WAS RELEASED FOR FLT. ALL OF THE HELIPORTS IN THE NY CITY AREA ARE CONFINED AREAS WITH NUMEROUS APCHS AND LNDGS BEING MADE SIMILAR TO THIS APCH AND LNDG. THIS WAS A ROUTINE OP IN THE NY CITY AREA. CREW COORD WAS CONDUCTED DURING THE OP WITH THE PNF OBSERVING THE PARKED SK76 DURING THE APCH AND PEDDLE TURN. ONE ACTION TO CORRECT THIS PROB COULD BE THE REMARKING OF THE HELIPORTS USING ONE LESS PARKING SPOT. THIS WILL ALLOW MORE SPACE BTWN ACFT, ALONG WITH REDUCED ROTOR WASH WIND SPDS THAT COULD AFFECT PARKED ACFT. THIS WAS THE SECOND INCIDENT OF THIS TYPE AT JRA. UNTIL THIS INCIDENT, WE WERE UNAWARE OF SK76 ROTOR BLADES BEING ABLE TO FLEX AND CONTACT THE GND WITH THE DROOP STOPS IN PLACE.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.