What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 30, 1999, about 1539 eastern daylight time, a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, N265BH, registered to biscayne helicopter inc., was forced to land in the waters of biscayne bay after a tail rotor failure, near Coconut Grove, Florida, while on a title 14 CFR part 91 business flight. Visual meteorological conditions were reported, and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter recieved minor damage. The commercial-rated pilot, one passenger reported no injuries. The flight had originated at 1430, the same day, from kendall-tamiami airport, Florida. The helicopter was leased to channel 10 news, a miami-based television station, and was being used by the television station when hte tail rotor failure, and forced landing occured. The pilot told the NTSB that they were at 500 feet MSL (mean sea level), at 100 knots, and heading 190 degrees along the shoreline, when he felt a "violent high frequency buzz in the pedals [that] lasted 3 seconds.) He then heard a "boom" noise, and the helicopter yawed right. He entered autorotation with the throttle open, adjusted the airspeed and power. The passenger got a radio call out, the pilot flared at 50-75 feet, at a speed of 40 to 50 knots indicated at airspeed. At an altitude of about 30 feet above the water, the pilot deployed the floats. About 15 feet he pulled pitch, and then rolled on its left side before the occupants could exit. Examination of the helicopter revealed that a bolt and nut seperated from the forward short shaft, resulting in the forward portion of the shaft separating from the engine, causing the tail rotor to stop rotating.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 30, 1999, ABOUT 1539 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206L-1 HELICOPTER, N265BH, REGISTERED TO BISCAYNE HELICOPTER INC., WAS FORCED TO LAND IN THE WATERS OF BISCAYNE BAY AFTER A TAIL ROTOR FAILURE, NEAR COCONUT GROVE, FLORIDA, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 BUSINESS FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER RECIEVED MINOR DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT, ONE PASSENGER REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED AT 1430, THE SAME DAY, FROM KENDALL-TAMIAMI AIRPORT, FLORIDA. THE HELICOPTER WAS LEASED TO CHANNEL 10 NEWS, A MIAMI-BASED TELEVISION STATION, AND WAS BEING USED BY THE TELEVISION STATION WHEN HTE TAIL ROTOR FAILURE, AND FORCED LANDING OCCURED. THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB THAT THEY WERE AT 500 FEET MSL (MEAN SEA LEVEL), AT 100 KNOTS, AND HEADING 190 DEGREES ALONG THE SHORELINE, WHEN HE FELT A "VIOLENT HIGH FREQUENCY BUZZ IN THE PEDALS [THAT] LASTED 3 SECONDS.) HE THEN HEARD A "BOOM" NOISE, AND THE HELICOPTER YAWED RIGHT. HE ENTERED AUTOROTATION WITH THE THROTTLE OPEN, ADJUSTED THE AIRSPEED AND POWER. THE PASSENGER GOT A RADIO CALL OUT, THE PILOT FLARED AT 50-75 FEET, AT A SPEED OF 40 TO 50 KNOTS INDICATED AT AIRSPEED. AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 30 FEET ABOVE THE WATER, THE PILOT DEPLOYED THE FLOATS. ABOUT 15 FEET HE PULLED PITCH, AND THEN ROLLED ON ITS LEFT SIDE BEFORE THE OCCUPANTS COULD EXIT. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED THAT A BOLT AND NUT SEPERATED FROM THE FORWARD SHORT SHAFT, RESULTING IN THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE SHAFT SEPARATING FROM THE ENGINE, CAUSING THE TAIL ROTOR TO STOP ROTATING.
Other reports on N165BH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.