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20000608011049A

Accident · No damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Bridgeport, WA · June 8, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 8, 2000 · 12:30 local
Place
Bridgeport, WA
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N49573
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA00LA101
Reported as
Bell 206B
Fatal injuries
0
N49573Registration cancelled Mar 27, 2001 · Bell 206BS/N 1665Airframe modelBell 206B

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) Airman had just landed helicopter ina large depression (approx. 1 acre) that was being used as a field refueling site. The area was sporadically covered with two feet high alfalfa plants. The landing area had a mild slope (less than 5 degrees) slope downhill to the left of the helicopter and uphill to the right. The airman stated (and witness cofirmed) that after landing he opened the right side crew door and leaned out to observe the tailrotor and the right side skid in insure tailroor clearance with the plants and aircraft stability. Upon retracting back into the helicopter, he stated that he sensed the nose of the aircraft beginning to rise as though it was rocking back on the skids. He applied forward cyclic to counter the motion and the nose begin to descend. The nose continued to descend until it was well below normal. The pilot stated that he then sensed the aft portion of the skids beginning to rise as though the aircraft was taking off in a nose low attitude. The pilot stated that after that he is unsure of what control inputs he made. The aicraft rolled over onto its left side.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRMAN HAD JUST LANDED HELICOPTER INA LARGE DEPRESSION (APPROX. 1 ACRE) THAT WAS BEING USED AS A FIELD REFUELING SITE. THE AREA WAS SPORADICALLY COVERED WITH TWO FEET HIGH ALFALFA PLANTS. THE LANDING AREA HAD A MILD SLOPE (LESS THAN 5 DEGREES) SLOPE DOWNHILL TO THE LEFT OF THE HELICOPTER AND UPHILL TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRMAN STATED (AND WITNESS COFIRMED) THAT AFTER LANDING HE OPENED THE RIGHT SIDE CREW DOOR AND LEANED OUT TO OBSERVE THE TAILROTOR AND THE RIGHT SIDE SKID IN INSURE TAILROOR CLEARANCE WITH THE PLANTS AND AIRCRAFT STABILITY. UPON RETRACTING BACK INTO THE HELICOPTER, HE STATED THAT HE SENSED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT BEGINNING TO RISE AS THOUGH IT WAS ROCKING BACK ON THE SKIDS. HE APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC TO COUNTER THE MOTION AND THE NOSE BEGIN TO DESCEND. THE NOSE CONTINUED TO DESCEND UNTIL IT WAS WELL BELOW NORMAL. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THEN SENSED THE AFT PORTION OF THE SKIDS BEGINNING TO RISE AS THOUGH THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAKING OFF IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE.THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THAT HE IS UNSURE OF WHAT CONTROL INPUTS HE MADE. THE AICRAFT ROLLED OVER ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB SEA00LA101Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBridgeport, WAAircraft control was not maintained. Inadequate remedial action and diverted attention were factors.Jun 8, 2000 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N49573 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19900204001539APwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft · Winthrop, WATouched skid while hovering for snow covered slope landing, hidden by blowing snow, drift was recognized.Feb 4, 1990 · Substantial damage