Event WPR14CA375

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, a cart that housed an auxiliary power unit was positioned near the helicopter and used to start it's engine. After engine start, ground personnel did not remove the cart from the helipad. The pilot reported that shortly after lift off to a hover, to perform track and balance checks, the tail rotor struck the forward portion of the cart. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and tail rotor. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. According to the pilot, a cart that housed an auxiliary power unit was positioned near the helicopter and used to start its engine. After engine start, ground personnel did not remove the cart from the helipad. The pilot reported that shortly after lift off to a hover, to perform track and balance checks, the tail rotor struck the forward portion of the cart. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and tail rotor. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot - C
• C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Forgotten action/omission-Ground crew - C
• — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Ground vehicle-Contributed to outcome