Accident Bell UH-1N N12328, Sunday 10 May 2020

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Date:	Sunday 10 May 2020
Time:	04:00 LT
Type:	Bell UH-1N
Owner/operator:	US Department Of State
Registration:	N12328
MSN:	135117
Year of manufacture:	1971
Total airframe hrs:	12368 hours
Engine model:	P&WC PT6T-3B
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Baghdad - Iraq
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:	Baghdad
Destination airport:	Baghdad International Airport (BGW/ORBI)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
According to operator, the pilots of the helicopter were departing from the heliport for a routine passenger flight in night visual meteorological conditions. The copilot brought the helicopter to a 4 ft hover, transitioned to the left and had commenced forward flight when the main rotor blades struck a security barrier. The helicopter then impacted the ground and the main rotor blades struck the tailboom. Both pilots reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause: The flight crew's inadequate situational awareness and failure to maintain adequate clearance from a security barrier during a night takeoff.

Accident investigation: