# Accident 19970923028229A: Bell 206L4, Hurst, TX, September 23, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 23, 1997, 10:10 local time
- Place: Hurst, TX
- Airport: Bell Helicopter Hurst Heliport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.8295° N, 97.1703° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8295&lon=-97.1703&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9264G (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L4
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C30
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 10,000 total, 3,500 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA361](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA361) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970923028229A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DURING AUTOROTAIONS TO RWY 18. LAND FIRM NOSE HIGH. FELT SHUDDER. CONTINUED. AFTER DUAL FOUND WRINKLES ON TAILBOOM. (-23) THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT WAS PRACTICING STRAIGHT-IN AUTO ROTATIONS. DURING THE SIXTH AUTOROTATION, THE PILOT INCREASED COLLECTIVE PITCH AND THE MAIN ROTOR SPEED DECREASED BELOW 70 PERCENT. DURING TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT FELT THE HELICOPTER SHUDDER, AND IT SLID TO A STOP IN ABOUT 40 FEET. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE PLANNED MANEUVERS, THE HELICOPTER WAS FLOWN TO THE BELL HELICOPTER PLANT 8 AND WAS SHUT DOWN. DURING PREFLIGHT FOR THE NEXT FLIGHT,  A WRINKLE ON TOP OF THE TAIL BOOM WAS FOUND. SEE ATTACHED BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 5, 1984, SUBJECT: SKIN COMPRESSION WRINKLES IN TAIL BOOM.                                                              (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 23, 1997, APPROXIMATELY 1010 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206-L4 HELICOPTER, N9264G, REGISTERED TO TEXTRON FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND OPERATED BY BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING LANDING AT THE BELL HELICOPTER HURST HELIPORT, HURST, TEXAS. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE COMMERCIAL RATED STUDENT PILOT WERE N                                  OT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE BELL HELICOPTER PLANT 8 HELIPORT, ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS PRACTICING STRAIGHT-IN AUTOROTATIONS. DURING THE SIXTH AUTOROTATION, THE COMMERCIAL PILOT INCREASED COLLECTIVE, AND THE MAIN ROTOR SPEED DECREASED BELOW 70 PERCENT. DURING TOUCH DOWN THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FELT THE HELICOPTER SHUDDER, AND IT SLIDE TO A STOP IN ABOUT 40 FEET. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR GOT OUT AND INSPECTED THE HELICOPTER FOR DAMAGE. NO DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED AND THE FLIGHT CONTINUED. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE PLANNED MANUEVERS, THE HELICOPTER WAS FLOWN TO THE BELL HELICOPTER PLANT 8 HELIPORT AND SHUT DOWN. DURING PREFLIGHT FOR THE NEXT FLIGHT, A WRINKLE ON TOP OF THE TAILBOOM WAS FOUND.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW97LA361](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA361), Sep 23, 1997: Bell 206-L4 (N9264G), Hurst, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The improper touchdown by the commercial pilot receiving instruction. A factor was the flight instructor's inadequate supervision.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.