Mcdonnell Douglas 600N accident near Laughlin, Nevada, October 24, 2001
On October 24, 2001 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas 600N (helicopter), registered N451DL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Laughlin, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the manufacturer's failure to provide warning information and ground training about the possibilities of boom strikes by the rotor blades in windy conditions and low rotor rpm situations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 2001 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Laughlin, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas 600N
- Registration
- N451DL · no longer on the register · serial RN-042
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The McDonnell Douglas 600N helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and rotor blades during startup. The helicopter was parked on a formal helipad atop a 26-story building. After the pilot performed a routine preflight, he and the passengers boarded the helicopter for a local area flight. On engine startup, after about two revolutions of the rotor blades, three of the five blades contacted the tail boom. The pilot stated that the helicopter was pointed south, with the wind out of the north about 20 knots. The wind condition was not unusual for the area and location. The routine for a downwind liftoff was to perform a pedal turn into the wind for departure. The pilot stated that there is nothing in the Rotorcraft Flight Manual nor in the formal factory training for startup in windy conditions. Investigators reviewed the information in the Rotorcraft Flight Manual and found no limitations or restrictions concerning starting engines in strong wind conditions. According to FAA Aircraft Certification information, the helicopter complies with the minimum requirements for main rotor blade separation from the tailboom. According to an engineer in the Aircraft Certification Office responsible for the Type Certificate, the helicopter has a history of and is susceptible to main rotor strikes on the tailboom, if the main rotor rpm drops while the helicopter is either skidding to a halt, or is stationary in a strong wind.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 4,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 20, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 451 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 2001; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C47M (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Laughlin NV at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 27,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from KIFP, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N451DL the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.