20000707009119A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206L-3 · Logan, UT · July 7, 2000

Date: July 7, 2000 · 15:45 local
Place: Logan, UT
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N38903
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN00LA124
Reported as: Bell 206L3

N38903Registration cancelled May 12, 2005 · Bell 206L-3S/N 51017 Airframe modelBell 206L-3

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) Aircraft departed Logan-cache airport fro a local flight. A person in the FBO observed the left rear door open as the aircraft departed. Several minutes later the pilot was notified and acknoledged the open door. About four miles west of the airport the pilot started a descent to land in a field and close the door. The pilot and passenger felt what they thought was momentary turnulence, vibration and heard a nosie. These all alsted about five seconds. As the pilot continued the descent to the field he realized he had no anti-torque control. At approximately 400 feet AGL he entered an autorotation and landed in the field. As the aircraft was setting it rotated approximately 270 degrees to the right and rolled to the left coming to rest on the left side of the aircraft. An investigation of the tail rotor drive shaft revealed that it was sheared with indications of a stoppage originating with the tail rotor.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED LOGAN-CACHE AIRPORT FRO A LOCAL FLIGHT. A PERSON IN THE FBO OBSERVED THE LEFT REAR DOOR OPEN AS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER THE PILOT WAS NOTIFIED AND ACKNOLEDGED THE OPEN DOOR. ABOUT FOUR MILES WEST OF THE AIRPORT THE PILOT STARTED A DESCENT TO LAND IN A FIELD AND CLOSE THE DOOR. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER FELT WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS MOMENTARY TURNULENCE, VIBRATION AND HEARD A NOSIE. THESE ALL ALSTED ABOUT FIVE SECONDS. AS THE PILOT CONTINUED THE DESCENT TO THE FIELD HE REALIZED HE HAD NO ANTI-TORQUE CONTROL. AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET AGL HE ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION AND LANDED IN THE FIELD. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS SETTING IT ROTATED APPROXIMATELY 270 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT AND ROLLED TO THE LEFT COMING TO REST ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. AN INVESTIGATION OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT REVEALED THAT IT WAS SHEARED WITH INDICATIONS OF A STOPPAGE ORIGINATING WITH THE TAIL ROTOR.

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 DEN00LA124Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLogan, UTin-flight collision with a jacket, which blew out of the helicopter because the left passenger door was not properly secured prior to takeoff. A contributing factor was the pilot's failure to ensure the door was properly closed prior to takeoff.Jul 7, 2000 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N38903 · 2

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

Accident 19930807027911AAerial Taxi, Other Helicopter · Tusayan, AZDuring hover taxi to helilpad rotors struck idling rotor of N444CR waiting takeoff from its pad. Narrow taxi lane.Aug 7, 1993 · Destroyed Accident 19831025055459APwr Off Run Land (Autorotation · Grand Canyon, AZReported power loss. Chopped off tail boom on autorotation landing. Engine checked normal. Severe downdrafts in areaOct 25, 1983 · Substantial damage