What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power on takeodd. Crashed in a field. (From .4) the helicopter departed from the fuel truck and subsequently experienced a partial loss of engine power at about 10 feet above sloping terrain. The aircraft settled and impacted the ground. The pilot stated that the engine was still spooling down as he exited the aircraft. When the engine compressor section was examined, it was determined that the internal compressor case plastic coating was cracked with sections of the plastic missing. Erosion which exceeded the manufacturer's allowable limits was visible through the first four vane stages and was most evident in the lower case half. According to the engine manufacturer, when compressor erosion is unchecked it will eventually result in a fatigue fracture of one of the vanes due to a loss of stiffness. The maintenance manual states that the compressor case should be replaced if any vanes are cracked, broken, or show any evidence of tip rub on the rotor spacer. It further states that corrosion or erosion can cause damage to the compressor blades and vanes that can result in engine failure. The manufacturer specifies inspection intervals of the compressor case should be determined by the operating environment, but in any case, should not exceed 300 hours. The compressor case halves had were replaced in December 1996 and had accumulated approximately 600 hours at the time of the accident. They had not been inspected since being overhauled. The pilot reported that the helicopter had been operating in desert terrain. (-23) on may 14, 1998, at 1810 hours pacific daylight time, a Bell 206B, N90215, experienced a loss of power on takeoff and crashed in a field approx. 2 miles west of the Temecula, California airport. The aircraft was destroyed and the commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The aerial application flight, conducted under 14 CFR part 137, originated from fallbrook, California, at 0645, and had made multiple refueling stops in the fields being worked. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot reported that he experienced a power loss on takeoff and the helicopter crashed in a field.
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER ON TAKEODD. CRASHED IN A FIELD. (FROM .4) THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED FROM THE FUEL TRUCK AND SUBSEQUENTLY EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AT ABOUT 10 FEET ABOVE SLOPING TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL SPOOLING DOWN AS HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. WHEN THE ENGINE COMPRESSOR SECTION WAS EXAMINED, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INTERNAL COMPRESSOR CASE PLASTIC COATING WAS CRACKED WITH SECTIONS OF THE PLASTIC MISSING. EROSION WHICH EXCEEDED THE MANUFACTURER'S ALLOWABLE LIMITS WAS VISIBLE THROUGH THE FIRST FOUR VANE STAGES AND WAS MOST EVIDENT IN THE LOWER CASE HALF. ACCORDING TO THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER, WHEN COMPRESSOR EROSION IS UNCHECKED IT WILL EVENTUALLY RESULT IN A FATIGUE FRACTURE OF ONE OF THE VANES DUE TO A LOSS OF STIFFNESS. THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL STATES THAT THE COMPRESSOR CASE SHOULD BE REPLACED IF ANY VANES ARE CRACKED, BROKEN, OR SHOW ANY EVIDENCE OF TIP RUB ON THE ROTOR SPACER. IT FURTHER STATES THAT CORROSION OR EROSION CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE COMPRESSOR BLADES AND VANES THAT CAN RESULT IN ENGINE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER SPECIFIES INSPECTION INTERVALS OF THE COMPRESSOR CASE SHOULD BE DETERMINED BY THE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT, BUT IN ANY CASE, SHOULD NOT EXCEED 300 HOURS. THE COMPRESSOR CASE HALVES HAD WERE REPLACED IN DECEMBER 1996 AND HAD ACCUMULATED APPROXIMATELY 600 HOURS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THEY HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED SINCE BEING OVERHAULED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER HAD BEEN OPERATING IN DESERT TERRAIN. (-23) ON MAY 14, 1998, AT 1810 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206B, N90215, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER ON TAKEOFF AND CRASHED IN A FIELD APPROX. 2 MILES WEST OF THE TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 137, ORIGINATED FROM FALLBROOK, CALIFORNIA, AT 0645, AND HAD MADE MULTIPLE REFUELING STOPS IN THE FIELDS BEING WORKED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS ON TAKEOFF AND THE HELICOPTER CRASHED IN A FIELD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.