Agusta Spa AW139 accident near Houma, Louisiana, October 22, 2012
On October 22, 2012 at about 11:02 am local time, a Agusta Spa AW139 (helicopter), registered N385RH, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Houma, Louisiana (Houme-Terrebonne Airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The helicopter’s sudden and severe vertical vibrations during landing, which resulted in a collision with terrain. The reason for the helicopter’s sudden and severe vertical vibrations could not be determined during postaccident examinations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 2012 · about 11:02 am local time
- Place
- Houma, Louisiana · Houme-Terrebonne Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Agusta Spa AW139 · all AW139s on the register
- Registration
- N385RH · no longer on the register · serial 41013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight crew was repositioning the helicopter to another landing pad when the accident occurred. According to the flight crew and flight data recorder (FDR) data, as the helicopter was touching down, it began to experience severe vertical vibrations and to oscillate violently. The pilot reported that he lowered the collective but that the vibrations and oscillations intensified. The pilot then increased the collective to lift the helicopter off the ground. The helicopter became airborne, but the violent oscillations and vibrations continued. The pilot initiated a left pedal turn to avoid another helicopter, at which time, the oscillations and vibrations were so severe that the pilots' headsets came off of their heads. The helicopter entered a spin and impacted the grass hard while moving laterally to the left. The pilots shut down and then exited the helicopter. The blue main rotor blade damper was replaced the night before the accident. A maintenance test flight was performed following the replacement. The flight crewmembers who flew the test flight reported that there was a slight vibration from the main rotor system and that one of the five main rotor blades had a "slight dip" in its track. There was no record of the main rotor blade out-of-track discrepancy nor of a main rotor track and balance inspection being performed subsequent to this flight. Although an out-of-track blade could cause a persistent vertical vibration, an examination of the main rotor blades, elastomeric bearings, main rotor dampers, main rotor rod ends, main gearbox attachment points and antitorque beam, and automatic flight control system did not reveal any anomalies that could account for the vertical vibrations reported by the flight crew and recorded on the FDR.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,153 hours in all; 257 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 1,840 as pilot in command; 1,340 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 6, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,340 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 5,375 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 21, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,063 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 14, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 14,994 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W Canada PT6C-67C (turboshaft); 1,016 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W Canada PT6C-67C (turboshaft); 2,063 hours total
- Operator: Era Helicopters LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KHUM Houma LA
- Destination: KHUM Houma LA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 am from KHUM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
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 CEN13FA025.