Eurocopter Deutschland GMBH MBB-BK 117 C-2 accident near Houston, Texas, July 24, 2012
On July 24, 2012 at about 11:08 am local time, a Eurocopter Deutschland GMBH MBB-BK 117 C-2 (helicopter), registered N455MH, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Houston, Texas (John S Dunn Helistop airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection, which failed to detect the unsecured cowling latches and resulted in the in-flight opening of an engine cowling.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2012 · about 11:08 am local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · John S Dunn Helistop · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter Deutschland GMBH MBB-BK 117 C-2
- Registration
- N455MH · registry record · serial 9161
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The emergency medical services helicopter was about 800 feet above ground level and landing at a rooftop hospital helipad in a congested metropolitan area when the left side engine cowling opened. The cowling partially separated and impacted the bottom of all four main rotor blades, resulting in substantial damage to the rotor blades. The pilot described the event as a brief shudder, like flying through the rotor wash of another helicopter. The pilot was unaware that any damage had occurred and landed uneventfully. A third medical crewmember boarded through the right rear door for a local flight to a suburban hospital. During engine shutdown at their destination, another medical crewmember exited the helicopter on the left side and was the first to notice the damage. The pilot stated that he failed to complete a thorough preflight inspection before the accident flight, because the crew was assigned a medical mission just after their shift started. The previous pilot, who flew the helicopter the evening before the accident, stated that he had opened the left side engine cowling to check the oil level and became distracted. He also stated that he could not remember if he had secured the cowling latches.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Miscellaneous/other during landing defining event
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › Engine cowling system › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,784 hours in all; 597 in this make and model; 61 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 3,784 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 15, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,305 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 2, 2012; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,900 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Turbomeca ARRIEL 1E2 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Turbomeca ARRIEL 1E2 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Katy TX at 10:53 am
- Destination: 38TE Houston TX
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from KHOU, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN12CA474.