19970407005249A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell TH13T · Capitan, NM · April 7, 1997

Date: April 7, 1997 · 08:15 local
Place: Capitan, NM
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N74HL
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW97TA154
Reported as: Bell TH13T
Reported engine: Lycoming TVO435B1A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,821 total372 in this make and model76 in the last 90 days

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.

Predator control flight. Lost power too low autorotation. Hard impact. Rotor chopped tail. Tank broke. Fuel fire. (-23) on April 7, 1997, at approximately 0815 mountain day light time, a bel TH-13T helicopter, N74HL was destroyed following a loss of power and subsequent forced landing near Capitan, NM. The pilot and passenger evacuated the aircraft with no injuries. The helicopter was destroyed by a post landing fire.

As the FAA filed it

PREDATOR CONTROL FLIGHT. LOST POWER TOO LOW AUTOROTATION. HARD IMPACT. ROTOR CHOPPED TAIL. TANK BROKE. FUEL FIRE. (-23) ON APRIL 7, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 0815 MOUNTAIN DAY LIGHT TIME, A BEL TH-13T HELICOPTER, N74HL WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF POWER AND SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING NEAR CAPITAN, NM. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED BY A POST LANDING FIRE.

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 FTW97TA154Accident · No injuriesFinal reportCapitan, NMloss of engine power for undetermined reason(s).Apr 7, 1997 · Destroyed