NTSB Factual Report

On September 5, 2005, at 1333 Pacific daylight time, a Bell 206B helicopter, N667JM, impacted terrain following the departure of its tail rotor system while maneuvering at the Long Beach Airport (LGB), Long Beach, California. An entanglement of a banner tow rope preceded the tail rotor system departure. Sundance Helicopters, Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada, was operating the helicopter at the time of the accident under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 133 as a banner tow flight. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the accident site, the pilot was starting his second banner tow of the day. During the pickup, the banner became hung up on itself and formed a bow. As the helicopter climbed to about 150 to 175 feet above ground level (agl), the pilot realized the banner was not going to unfold. The pilot maneuvered the helicopter in an 180-degree turn and initiated a shallow descent in preparation to drop the banner. As the helicopter was descending, the banner turned horizontally and formed an airfoil. The tow rope then became entangled with the tail rotor, which resulted in its eventual departure from the helicopter. The pilot initiated an autorotation to arrest the ensuing rotation of the helicopter. As it continued a slow rotation, the helicopter impacted terrain hard.

The pilot submitted a written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator. He reported that on takeoff, the main banner rope lifted from the ground followed by the guidelines for the banner. As the helicopter climbed higher, the pilot configured it in a nose low pitch attitude to increase airspeed. The banner came off the ground but did not look like it did on the previous takeoffs, which the pilot described as a "big sheet unraveling," and instead appeared to be "tied or stuck in a clump."

The pilot diverted his attention to flying the helicopter and continuing his climb, and then observed the banner in a rear-view-mirror. The banner was "rolling on an axis along the tow rope." The pilot contacted a local air traffic controller and reported that he was returning due to problems with the banner. The controller informed the pilot that it did not look as though the banner was opening and cleared him to return to the airport, north of runway 25L. The helicopter was at 500 feet agl at that time.

The pilot flew the helicopter in a slow left turn around a hangar and reduced airspeed. When he looked at his rear-view-mirror, he could not see the banner but noticed that the tow rope was high. He continued with a "slow descent to 300 feet agl, which was [his] drop off altitude." The pilot contacted the air traffic controller again and asked if he was cleared for an approach over runway 30; the controller instructed him to stay north of runway 25L. He looked in the rear-view-mirror and saw no signs of the banner, just the tow rope in a high position. The pilot was concerned with the rope's vicinity to the tail rotor, "so without pulling back on the cyclic [he] continued to slow down to allow the banner to drop below the aircraft."

The pilot further stated that he maneuvered the helicopter onto final approach at 20 to 30 miles per hour (mph) using a slow right shallow pedal turn. During the turn, he heard a grinding sound and felt as if the tail was being pulled down to the left. The helicopter spun 180 degrees to the right and the pilot rolled the throttle off to reduce torque. The helicopter rotation slowed and the pilot pushed the nose forward in an effort to gain airspeed. The pilot didn't recall the accident sequence and impact.

Another pilot-certificated witness submitted a written statement. He was piloting another tow helicopter and flew the accident banner for two flights (equating to 5.5 hours) 3 days prior to the accident. He observed the accident helicopter pickup the advertising banner and depart to the west from the helipad. As the banner began to liftoff, the top rear corner became tangled with the top front corner. The banner lifted off the ground folded over on itself. The helicopter continued to takeoff "as the banners will sometimes untangle and fly normally." At first the banner appeared to trail in the normal position below and behind the helicopter. The banner made a few slow 360-degree rolls around the lead line.

The witness observed the helicopter climb to about 1,000 feet agl and approximately 1 mile west of the airport, with the banner still tangled. The helicopter returned to the airport, and as it neared the infield it began a slow descent, as if the pilot was preparing to drop the banner. When the helicopter was 300 to 400 agl, the banner rolled into a horizontal position and climbed, which brought the lead line into the tail rotor system.

As the helicopter spun to the right, the tail rotor and tail rotor gearbox separated from the helicopter. The banner drifted to the north and the helicopter spiraled in a nose low attitude toward the ground. The helicopter impacted the ground in a near level pitch attitude facing a northerly heading.

FAA inspectors from the Long Beach Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) responded to the accident site. They documented the accident site with photographs, which were provided to the Safety Board investigator-in-charge. A review of the photographs revealed that the helicopter's skids were crushed under the helicopter and the left side of the fuselage sustained the majority of crushing damage from the bottom side up. The main rotor blades sustained little damage with one being bent up and aft slightly near its tip.

The tail rotor gearbox was separated from the tail boom, and the blue tow rope was wrapped around the tail rotor hub and shaft. The outboard end of one of the tail rotor blades was separated and found at the accident site. The metal at the fracture surface was jagged and displayed a torn and deformed appearance.

The helicopter was equipped with an electrical cargo hook release and an emergency manual release. According to excerpts of the Aerial Sights Helicopter Banner Tow Operations Manual (now owned by Van Wagner Aerial), "there are realistically no emergencies that could arise as relating to the banner specifically." The manual continued to discuss banner-related emergencies such as the banner failing to release at the drop point. It is recommended that the pilot pull the manual release handle, and if the banner still doesn't release, the pilot is to "continue a shallow approach to the ground. The line will not become entangled in the tail rotor. Continue to slow the aircraft at an altitude that allows the line to hang (slack) from the aircraft. The weight of the emergency break away will cause the line to hang vertically (clear of the tail rotor)."

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's decision not to release the banner when it became entangled on itself, which resulted in the banner tow rope becoming ensnarled with the tail rotor system.