# Accident 20000120008039A: Bell UH1H, Ft Meyers, FL, January 20, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 20, 2000, 13:30 local time
- Place: Ft Meyers, FL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Autorot Descent (Rotorcraft)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 26.5102° N, 81.7010° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.5102&lon=-81.7010&mi=10
- Aircraft: N853M, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N853M-2003-07-16) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell UH-1H (registry code 1181407, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-uh-1h) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL UH1H
- Reported engine: LYC T53L13B
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 20,840 total, 3,400 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA00TA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00TA070) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000120008039A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) AN INSPECTION OF THE WRECK CONCLUDED THAT THE ENGINE HAD FAILED. THE ENGINE HAS BEEN SENT BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR ANALYSIS. HONEYWELL REP. DAVE LOOPER COORDINATED THE SHIPPING AND INSPECTION. (.4)ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS ABOUT 30 MINUTES INTO THE POST INSPECTION MAINTENANCE FLIGHT AT ABOUT 350 TO 400 FEET AGL, WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD 'BANG' AND ENGINE RPM DECAYED TO ZERO. HIS CHOICE OF AUTOROTATION SITE REQUIRED USE OF MAIN ROTOR RPM TO CLEAR TREES AND HE LANDED HARD AND ROLLED OVER. THE T-53-L-13B ENGINE UNDERWENT FACTORY DISASSEMBLY EXAMINATION, WITH FAA OVERSIGHT. MATERIAL ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT PORTIONS OF THE 2ND STAGE GP TURBINE DISC HAD FRACTURED AND SEPARATED DUE TO PEAK STRAIN LOW CYCLE FATIGUE, RESULTING IN STRUCTURAL AND IMBALANCE DAMAGE AND ENGINE FAILURE. NO MATERIAL, LUBRICATION, OR FUEL CONTROL DEFECTS WERE IDENTIFIED THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE DISC SEPARATION.

## 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 MIA00TA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA00TA070), Jan 20, 2000: Bell UH-1H (N853M), Fort Myers, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: A total loss of engine power due to turbine wheel fracture resulting from fatigue for undetermined reasons that resulted in an autorotation to unsuitable terrain and hard touchdown and rollover.

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.