Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter MD500 accident near Decatur, Alabama, November 18, 2014
On November 18, 2014 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1990 Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter MD500, registered N8371F, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Decatur, Alabama. It was an external-load flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An undetermined pilot's failure to maintain clearance from an electrical transmission tower resulting in substantial damage to a main rotor blade. Postaccident investigation could not determine which of two pilots was flying the helicopter at the time the damage occurred.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2014 · about 3:30 pm local time · cases in 2014
- Place
- Decatur, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter MD500, built 1990
- Registration
- N8371F · registry record · serial 0399E
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the operator, a preflight was completed before the helicopter was moved to the landing zone and no anomalies were noted. The helicopter was then equipped with an aerial platform and measuring equipment to perform the planned work in the vicinity of powerlines. Subsequently, the helicopter departed the landing zone. Due to the atmospheric condition at the aerial work site, the pilot discontinued the aerial work and returned to the landing zone. A "senior" pilot was consulted, and replaced the first pilot. The "senior" pilot decided to depart and assess the situation from the air. A short time later the flight returned to the landing zone. The first pilot performed a "short" postflight examination of the helicopter and noticed that a main rotor blade was substantially damaged. The operator reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. In addition, neither pilots nor crew members noticed any abnormal flight characteristics of the helicopter prior to discovering the main rotor blade damage. The investigation was unable to determine which flight the main rotor blade incurred the substantial damage.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Other/unknown
Pilot
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 21,486.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 25, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 13,244 hours total
- Operator: Haverfield International INC
The flight
- Departed from: DCU Decatur AL at 1:30 pm
- Destination: DCU Decatur AL
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.43 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KDCU, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 28, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Record – Weather Observations | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 - Main Rotor Blade (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N8371F on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 135 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20B 216 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Pryor Field Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Alabama 1,211 since 1982 · 173 in the last ten years
- Alabama 4,354 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA15CA055.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.