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19980509023949A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell UH1H · Naches, WA · May 9, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 9, 1998 · 16:55 local
Place
Naches, WA
Phase of flight
Pwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N345SC
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA98TA074
Reported as
Bell UH1H
Reported engine
Lycoming T53L13B
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,000 total1,850 in this make and model17 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.

EMS co public use aircraft. Indicates engine problem. Limited info on report. (.4)the pilot reported that shortly after takeoff, he noticed that the RPM was low, as if it were bleeding off. The pilot tried to increase the RPM by using the increase/decrease button on the collective which had no effect. The pilot opted to reverse direction to return to land. The RPM continued to decrease and the pilot initiated an autorotation to a field in a narrow valley. The RPM continued to decay to a point in which the pilot could not perform a normal autorotation due to low airspeed and altitude. The helicopter landed hard and rocked forward onto it nose before settling back on the skids. The engine was removed and sent to a facility for a test run. During the engine run, there were no anomalies found that effected engine operation. (-23)on scene investigation was conducted by brain holmes, chief pilot-aviation enforcement officer for Washington state. NTSB requested an FAA inspector be present only to observe the engine removal and placement into a shi pping container. The engine was shipped to allied signal, phoenix, AZ for test cell run (see attachments).

As the FAA filed it

EMS CO PUBLIC USE AIRCRAFT. INDICATES ENGINE PROBLEM. LIMITED INFO ON REPORT. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, HE NOTICED THAT THE RPM WAS LOW, AS IF IT WERE BLEEDING OFF. THE PILOT TRIED TO INCREASE THE RPM BY USING THE INCREASE/DECREASE BUTTON ON THE COLLECTIVE WHICH HAD NO EFFECT. THE PILOT OPTED TO REVERSE DIRECTION TO RETURN TO LAND. THE RPM CONTINUED TO DECREASE AND THE PILOT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION TO A FIELD IN A NARROW VALLEY. THE RPM CONTINUED TO DECAY TO A POINT IN WHICH THE PILOT COULD NOT PERFORM A NORMAL AUTOROTATION DUE TO LOW AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND ROCKED FORWARD ONTO IT NOSE BEFORE SETTLING BACK ON THE SKIDS. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO A FACILITY FOR A TEST RUN. DURING THE ENGINE RUN, THERE WERE NO ANOMALIES FOUND THAT EFFECTED ENGINE OPERATION. (-23)ON SCENE INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED BY BRAIN HOLMES, CHIEF PILOT-AVIATION ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FOR WASHINGTON STATE. NTSB REQUESTED AN FAA INSPECTOR BE PRESENT ONLY TO OBSERVE THE ENGINE REMOVAL AND PLACEMENT INTO A SHI PPING CONTAINER. THE ENGINE WAS SHIPPED TO ALLIED SIGNAL, PHOENIX, AZ FOR TEST CELL RUN (SEE ATTACHMENTS).

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 SEA98TA074Accident · Minor injuriesFinal reportNaches, WALoss of engine power for undetermined reasons.May 9, 1998 · Substantial damage