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19960526011639A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 47J · Leander, TX · May 26, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 26, 1996 · 17:10 local
Place
Leander, TX
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8412E
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW96LA229
Reported as
Bell 47J
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,746 total
N8412ERegistration cancelled Oct 31, 2013 · Bell 47JS/N 1800 · Built 1959Airframe modelBell 47JEngine modelLycoming VO-435 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot attempting to land on shore of lake, helicopter experienced a downdraft and crashed. (.4)according to the pilot, while flying approximately 200 feet AGL over a lake, he 'felt a push/cross wind (wind shear).' He stated that, 'it felt as if it were pushing me into the ground.' He then lowered the collective and 'added' forward cyclic to increase forward airspeed. After selecting a landing site, the pilot attempted to control the descent but, 'nothing was working' and the helicopter 'was going down fast.' Just prior to landing, the pilot 'flared with collective full up to lighten the impact.' The tail boom was structurally damaged during the landing due to impact with a large rock adjacent to the landing site. The pilot reported 20 knot winds, gusting to 30 knots. He stated that he encountered a quartering head wind during his approach to the landing site. According to the manufacturer, the reported wind component encountered would not have exceeded the performance capability of the helicopter. According to the pilot, gross weight limitations we re not exceeded during the flight.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON SHORE OF LAKE, HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A DOWNDRAFT AND CRASHED. (.4)ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE FLYING APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL OVER A LAKE, HE 'FELT A PUSH/CROSS WIND (WIND SHEAR).' HE STATED THAT, 'IT FELT AS IF IT WERE PUSHING ME INTO THE GROUND.' HE THEN LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND 'ADDED' FORWARD CYCLIC TO INCREASE FORWARD AIRSPEED. AFTER SELECTING A LANDING SITE, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CONTROL THE DESCENT BUT, 'NOTHING WAS WORKING' AND THE HELICOPTER 'WAS GOING DOWN FAST.' JUST PRIOR TO LANDING, THE PILOT 'FLARED WITH COLLECTIVE FULL UP TO LIGHTEN THE IMPACT.' THE TAIL BOOM WAS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED DURING THE LANDING DUE TO IMPACT WITH A LARGE ROCK ADJACENT TO THE LANDING SITE. THE PILOT REPORTED 20 KNOT WINDS, GUSTING TO 30 KNOTS. HE STATED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED A QUARTERING HEAD WIND DURING HIS APPROACH TO THE LANDING SITE. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, THE REPORTED WIND COMPONENT ENCOUNTERED WOULD NOT HAVE EXCEEDED THE PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY OF THE HELICOPTER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, GROSS WEIGHT LIMITATIONS WE RE NOT EXCEEDED DURING THE FLIGHT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW96LA229Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLakeway, TXThe pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate prior to landing.May 26, 1996 · Substantial damage