19991007040999A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Slaton, TX · October 7, 1999

Date
October 7, 1999 · 18:00 local
Place
Slaton, TX
Airport
Slaton Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Sfl Autorotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N21166
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW00TA007
Reported as
Bell 206B
Reported engine
Allison 250C20J
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,060 total1,368 in this make and model167 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.

(-23) On October 7, 1999, at 1801 local time, a jet ranger Bell 206-B iii helicopter, N21166, operated by the Texas dps, was substantially damaged during a pratice autorotation at Slaton Municipal Airport (F49), Slaton, TX. privacy data omittedThe PIC, was practicing an autorotation with a 180 degree turn from 300 feet AGL. During the turn a high rate of sink developed, he stated to roll on the throttle and decrease the rate of turn, which resulted in the helicopter overshooting runway 18. privacy data omittedPerformed a deceleration flare approximately 3 feet above the ground to slow the foward speed, the rotor RPM decreased too low, and the helicopter touched down and slid approximately 58 feet, at that point the left skid and lower wire cutter dug into the ground causing the main rotor blade to strike the ground at that point the left skid andlower wire cutter dug into the ground causing the main rotor blade to strike the ground and then to strike the tailboom which became spearated from the aircraft. The helicopter came to rest on its left side. (.4)on October 7, 1999, approximately 1800 central daylight time, a Bell 206B helicopter, N21166, registered to midtex investments inc., of austin, Texas, and operated by the Texas department of public safety, was substantially damaged when the helicopter nosed over during a practice autorotation at the Slaton Municipal Airport near Slaton, Texas. The flight instructor and the commercial pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 public use training flight. The local flight originated from lubbock, Texas, at 1620. In the NTSB pilot/operator aircraft accident report (NTSB form 6120.1/2), the flight instructor reported he was conducting 180-degree left turn autorotations at 500 feet AGL, 400 feet AGL., and 300 feet AGL, all with power recoveries. During the 300-foot AGL practice 180-degree autorotation, approximately 90 degrees into the turn, the pilot allowed "a high sink-rate to develop", and began to pull pitch to arrest the descent. The pilot started to "roll the throttle" open and he observed the N2 and nr needles join at 92 percent. At this point, the left 180-degree turn was completed, and the aircraft rolled out parallel to and west of the runway with approximately 40 knots indicated airspeed. The pilot continued to roll on throttle and increase the collective in order "to hold the helicopter about 3 feet above the ground." However, the "rotor RPM decreased too low", and the helicopter settled to the ground and slid approximately 60 feet. The left skid toe and lower wire cutter dug into the ground, and the helicopter rocked forward onto the toes of the skids. Subsequently, the main rotor blades contacted and severed the tail boom, and the helicopter rolled over, and came to rest on its left side. In the section of the NTSB form 6120.1/2 entitled "recommendation (how could this accident have been prevented)", the operator stated that "this maneuver could be entered from a higher AGL altitude, this would have prevented the accident." According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, the main rotor blades were destroyed, the left side of the helicopter was crushed, and the tailboom was separated.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON OCTOBER 7, 1999, AT 1801 LOCAL TIME, A JET RANGER BELL 206-B III HELICOPTER, N21166, OPERATED BY THE TEXAS DPS, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A PRATICE AUTOROTATION AT SLATON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (F49), SLATON, TX. ^PRIVACY DATA OMI^THE PIC, WAS PRACTICING AN AUTOROTATION WITH A 180 DEGREE TURN FROM 300 FEET AGL. DURING THE TURN A HIGH RATE OF SINK DEVELOPED, HE STATED TO ROLL ON THE THROTTLE AND DECREASE THE RATE OF TURN, WHICH RESULTED IN THE HELICOPTER OVERSHOOTING RUNWAY 18. ^PRIVACY DAT^PERFORMED A DECELERATION FLARE APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND TO SLOW THE FOWARD SPEED, THE ROTOR RPM DECREASED TOO LOW, AND THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 58 FEET, AT THAT POINT THE LEFT SKID AND LOWER WIRE CUTTER DUG INTO THE GROUND CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TO STRIKE THE GROUND AT THAT POINT THE LEFT SKID ANDLOWER WIRE CUTTER DUG INTO THE GROUND CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TO STRIKE THE GROUND AND THEN TO STRIKE THE TAILBOOM WHICH BECAME SPEARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. (.4)ON OCTOBER 7, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 1800 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206B HELICOPTER, N21166, REGISTERED TO MIDTEX INVESTMENTS INC., OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND OPERATED BY THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN THE HELICOPTER NOSED OVER DURING A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION AT THE SLATON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT NEAR SLATON, TEXAS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PUBLIC USE TRAINING FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LUBBOCK, TEXAS, AT 1620. IN THE NTSB PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT (NTSB FORM 6120.1/2), THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED HE WAS CONDUCTING 180-DEGREE LEFT TURN AUTOROTATIONS AT 500 FEET AGL, 400 FEET AGL., AND 300 FEET AGL, ALL WITH POWER RECOVERIES. DURING THE 300-FOOT AGL PRACTICE 180-DEGREE AUTOROTATION, APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES INTO THE TURN, THE PILOT ALLOWED "A HIGH SINK-RATE TO DEVELOP", AND BEGAN TO PULL PITCH TO ARREST THE DESCENT. THE PILOT STARTED TO "ROLL THE THROTTLE" OPEN AND HE OBSERVED THE N2 AND NR NEEDLES JOIN AT 92 PERCENT. AT THIS POINT, THE LEFT 180-DEGREE TURN WAS COMPLETED, AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OUT PARALLEL TO AND WEST OF THE RUNWAY WITH APPROXIMATELY 40 KNOTS INDICATED AIRSPEED. THE PILOT CONTINUED TO ROLL ON THROTTLE AND INCREASE THE COLLECTIVE IN ORDER "TO HOLD THE HELICOPTER ABOUT 3 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND." HOWEVER, THE "ROTOR RPM DECREASED TOO LOW", AND THE HELICOPTER SETTLED TO THE GROUND AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET. THE LEFT SKID TOE AND LOWER WIRE CUTTER DUG INTO THE GROUND, AND THE HELICOPTER ROCKED FORWARD ONTO THE TOES OF THE SKIDS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED AND SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM, AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER, AND CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. IN THE SECTION OF THE NTSB FORM 6120.1/2 ENTITLED "RECOMMENDATION (HOW COULD THIS ACCIDENT HAVE BEEN PREVENTED)", THE OPERATOR STATED THAT "THIS MANEUVER COULD BE ENTERED FROM A HIGHER AGL ALTITUDE, THIS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE ACCIDENT." ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE DESTROYED, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER WAS CRUSHED, AND THE TAILBOOM WAS SEPARATED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.