# Accident 19980521043869A: Bell 206B3, Hurst, TX, May 21, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 21, 1998, 15:18 local time - Place: Hurst, TX - Airport: Bell Helicopter Hurst Heliport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 32.8298° N, 97.1695° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8298&lon=-97.1695&mi=10 - Aircraft: N206TA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N206TA) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bell 206B (registry code 1181511, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Allison 250-C20 series (registry code 03020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL 206B3 - Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 5,500 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA235](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA235) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980521043869A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.4)DURING AN AUTOROTATION, THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD. THE FLIGHT INSTRUC TOR WAS DEMONSTRATING AN AUTOROTATION WITH A 180 DEGREE TURN TO LANE 4, AT THE BELL HELICOPTER HURST HELIPORT. AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DETERMINED A POWER RECOVERY WAS NECESSARY, AND AT ABOUT 50 TO 70 FEET HE INCREASED THE THROTTLE TO FULL ON; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. AS THE AUTOROTATION CONTINUED, THE INSTRUCTOR `CONTINUED TO TRY AND GET THE THROTTLE AND ENGINE TO RESPOND.' THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN ON THE END OF LANE 4, BOUNCED AND VEERED OFF OF THE LANE 45 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. THE HELICOPTER THEN TOUCHED DOWN IN THE GRASS BOUNCING TWO MORE TIMES BEFORE COMING TO A STOP UPRIGHT ABOUT 70 FEET FROM THE END OF THE LANE. THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT AS THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND RAN THROUGH THE GRASS HE `FELT [THE] ENGINE BEGIN TO SPOOL AND [HE] CLOSED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE.' THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE WAS INSPECTED AND RETURNED TO SERVICE. (-23) ON MAY 21, 1998, AT 3:30 CDT A BELL HELICOPTER 206B3, N206TA, OWNED BY TEXTRON FINANCIAL CORPORATION RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE STRUCTURAL AREA OF THE TAILBOOM DURING A PART 61 TRAINING FLIGHT. DURING A 180 AUTO ROTATION, THE INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED A POWER RECOVERY LATE DURING THE MANEUVER. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO TOUCHDOWN HARD ON THE RUNWAY, BOUNCE IN THE AIR, TURN APPROXIMATELY 25-35 DEGREES AND PROGRESS APPROXIMATELY 75-100 FEET THROUGH THE GRASS BEFORE COMING TO A REST. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED, VISUAL CONDITIONS EXISTED, NO INJURIES OCCURRED. THE PILOT WAS AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, ROTORCRAFT-HELICOPTER. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT BELL HELICOPTER HELIPORT (2F2), TEXAS. (.19) ON MAY 21, 1998, AT 1518 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206BIII HELICOPTER, N206TA, OWNED AND OPERATED BY BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON, AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION NEAR HURST, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE COMMERCIAL RATED STUDENT PILOT WERE NOT INJURED. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS DEMONSTRATING AN AUTOROTATION WITH A 180 DEGREE TURN TO LANE 4, AT THE BELL HELICOPTER HURST HELIPORT. AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DETERMINED A POWER RECOVERY WAS NEC ESSARY. AT ABOUT 50 TO 70 FEET THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR INCREASED THE THROTTLE TO FULL ON; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND, AND THE AUTOROTATION WAS CONTINUED. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN ON THE END OF LANE 4, BOUNCED AND VEERED OFF OF THE LANE 45 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. THE HELICOPTER THEN TOUCHED DOWN IN THE GRASS BOUNCING TWO MORE TIMES BEFORE COMING TO A STOP UPRIGHT ABOUT 70 FEET FROM THE END OF THE LANE. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED THAT THE AFT STRUCTURAL PANEL ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE WAS WRINKLED. THE SPIKE PLATE UNDER THE MAIN TRANSMISSION WAS DAMAGED, THE MAIN DRIVE SHAFT CONTACT THE ISOLATION MOUNT, AND ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT COVER. ## 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 FTW98LA235](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA235), May 21, 1998: Bell 206BIII (N206TA), Hurst, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's delayed recovery from a simulated autorotative landing. 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.