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19970801020909I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Bell UH-1B · Shandon, CA · August 1, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 1, 1997 · 18:50 local
Place
Shandon, CA
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
IAVA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N64770
Reported as
Bell UH1B
Reported engine
Lycoming T53L11D
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,750 total120 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days
N64770Registered now · Bell UH-1BS/N 63-8721 · Built 1964Airframe modelBell UH-1BEngine modelLycoming T-53 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.

Narrative: on July 31, 1997, a Bell UH-1B helicopter, N64770, was involved in an approach/line-up incident while conducting fire suppression operations on a wildland fire 12.5 miles NM east of paso robles, California. At the time of the incident the aircraft was being operated as a public aircraft by the California department of forestry (c.d.f.), under the command and control of air attack 340 (AA340). The commercially rated helicopter pilot received minor injuries, was transported to, treated at, and released from twin cities hospital, templeton, California. The aircraft received substantial damage to the skid-type landing gear when it collapsed upon landing. The pilot stated, and witnesses have verified, at approx. 75 feet a.g.l. the aircraft suffered a catastrophic engine failure, with a full water bucket attached to the aircraft. The aircraft autorotated to a hard landing into a soft level field, there was no post crash fire. Subsequent investigation, revealed the engine had a catastrophic turbine failure, and a 4 inch hole was found on the right side of the hot section of the T-53-L11D engine. Molten engine parts were also found in the engine tail pipe. A large hole was also

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON JULY 31, 1997, A BELL UH-1B HELICOPTER, N64770, WAS INVOLVED IN AN APPROACH/LINE-UP INCIDENT WHILE CONDUCTING FIRE SUPPRESSION OPERATIONS ON A WILDLAND FIRE 12.5 MILES NM EAST OF PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A PUBLIC AIRCRAFT BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY (C.D.F.), UNDER THE COMMAND AND CONTROL OF AIR ATTACK 340 (AA340). THE COMMERCIALLY RATED HELICOPTER PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, WAS TRANSPORTED TO, TREATED AT, AND RELEASED FROM TWIN CITIES HOSPITAL, TEMPLETON, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE SKID-TYPE LANDING GEAR WHEN IT COLLAPSED UPON LANDING. THE PILOT STATED, AND WITNESSES HAVE VERIFIED, AT APPROX. 75 FEET A.G.L. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, WITH A FULL WATER BUCKET ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT AUTOROTATED TO A HARD LANDING INTO A SOFT LEVEL FIELD, THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION, REVEALED THE ENGINE HAD A CATASTROPHIC TURBINE FAILURE, AND A 4 INCH HOLE WAS FOUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HOT SECTION OF THE T-53-L11D ENGINE. MOLTEN ENGINE PARTS WERE ALSO FOUND IN THE ENGINE TAIL PIPE. A LARGE HOLE WAS ALSO