Mbb BK 117 A-4 accident near Albany, New York, December 26, 2002
On December 26, 2002 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Mbb BK 117 A-4 (helicopter), registered N951AM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albany, New York. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadvertent encounter with a downdraft during engine start, which flexed the main rotor blades and subsequently damaged the tail boom assembly. A factor related to the accident was the failure of the operator to comply with a service bulletin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 2002 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Albany, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mbb BK 117 A-4
- Registration
- N951AM · registry record · serial 7071
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was positioned on the hospital rooftop helipad facing in a southerly direction. After the medical crew boarded the helicopter, the number 1 engine was started. As the main rotor blades began to turn, an unexpected gust of wind traveling over the rooftop caused the blades to flap excessively. The pilot then heard a series of thumps, and aborted the start. Inspection of the helicopter revealed that one of the main rotor blades had come in contact with the left vertical stabilizer, damaging the tail boom, main rotor blades, and the left vertical stabilizer. On November 30, 1990, the helicopter manufacturer issued service bulletin SB-MBB-BK-30-103, which called for a triangle section to be cut out of the stabilizer fin assembly, in an area where a potential strike from a main rotor blade could occur, and replaced with a foam core insert. The operator did not apply the service bulletin to the accident helicopter. The winds reported by the pilot at the time of the engine start were from 340 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 24 knots.
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: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 3,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,498 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 20, 2002; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,975 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Garrett-Airesearch LTS101-650B1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Garrett-Airesearch LTS101-650B1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NK64 Albany NY at 7:40 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 300° at 19 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from ALB, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 NYC03LA033.