19970522011729A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Winter Park, FL · May 22, 1997

Date: May 22, 1997 · 17:10 local
Place: Winter Park, FL
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N61PP
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA97FA172
Reported as: Bell 206B
Reported engine: Allison 250C20
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,275 total222 in this make and model

N61PPRegistration cancelled Oct 26, 1998 · Bell 206BS/N 1369 Airframe modelBell 206B

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.

Photo flight. Lost control hovering downwind. Lost tail rotor effectiveness. Right spin ht tree and ground in yard. (-23) aircraft was observed in out of ground effect hover and lose control. Aricraft descended in right turn from 300-500 feet AGL and collided with trees and terrain. Tail wind condition during hover produced loss of tail rotor effectiveness. No mechanical failures.

As the FAA filed it

PHOTO FLIGHT. LOST CONTROL HOVERING DOWNWIND. LOST TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS. RIGHT SPIN HT TREE AND GROUND IN YARD. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED IN OUT OF GROUND EFFECT HOVER AND LOSE CONTROL. ARICRAFT DESCENDED IN RIGHT TURN FROM 300-500 FEET AGL AND COLLIDED WITH TREES AND TERRAIN. TAIL WIND CONDITION DURING HOVER PRODUCED LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS. NO MECHANICAL FAILURES.

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 MIA97FA172Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportWinter Park, FLThe pilots improper in-flight planning/decision to conduct an out of ground effect hover with a tailwind resulting in an in-flight loss of directional control due to loss of tailrotor effectiveness/unanticipated right yaw, and subsequent in-flight collision…May 22, 1997 · Destroyed