# Accident 20020304002379A: Bell 206L3, Tulsa, OK, March 4, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 4, 2002, 12:30 local time - Place: Tulsa, OK - Airport: Channel 8 Heliport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: VXIA - Location: 36.1161° N, 96.0258° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.1161&lon=-96.0258&mi=10 - Aircraft: N227H (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: BELL 206L3 - Reported engine: ALLSN 250C30 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 18,000 total, 4,500 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA089) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020304002379A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON MARCH 4, 2002, AT 1235 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BELL 206L-3 SINGLE-ENGINE HELICOPTER, N227H, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING TO A ROAD FOLLOWING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE ON APPROACH TO A COMPANY HELIPAD NEAR TULSA, OKLAHOMA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY TULSA SECURITY PATROL INC., D.B.A. ACTION HELICOPTER SERVICES OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 BUSINESS FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM TULSA'S RICHARD LLOYD JONES JR. AIRPORT, APPROXIMATELY 1230, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO THE COMPANY HELIPAD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS EN ROUTE TO THE HELIPAD FOR FUEL WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS SHORT OF THE HELIPAD. DURING AN AUTOROTATION TO A ROAD, THE PILOT HAD TO EXECUTE AN EVASIVE MANEUVER TO AVOID A VEHICLE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK NEARBY TREES, THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD ON THE ROAD, AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED AND SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ESTIMATED 300 POUNDS OF FUEL WERE ON BOARD AT THE TIME OF THEACCIDENT. (-23) ENROUTE FROM R.L. JONES AIRPORT THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. PILOT INITIATED EMERGENCY LANDING PROCEDURES. AT APX 10', THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK TREES CAUSING THE HARD LANDING. HELICOPTER SKIP APX 20' BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED BY MAIN ROTOR ON IMPACT. SKIDS AND POSSIBLE AIRFRAME STRUCTURE DAMAGE ALSO DUE TO HARD LANDING. (.4) ON MARCH 4, 2002, AT 1235 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BELL 206L-3 SINGLE-ENGINE HELICOPTER, N227H, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING TO A ROAD FOLLOWING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE ON APPROACH TO A COMPANY HELIPAD NEAR TULSA, OKLAHOMA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY TULSA SECURITY PATROL INC., D.B.A. ACTION HELICOPTER SERVICES OF TULSA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 POSITIONING FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM TULSA'S RICHARD LLOYD JONES JR. AIRPORT, APPROXIMATELY 1230, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO THE COMPANY HELIPAD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS EN ROUTE TO THE HELIPAD FOR FUEL WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS SHORT OF THE HELIPAD. DURING AN AUTOROTATION TO A ROAD, THE PILOT HAD TO EXECUTE AN EVASIVE MANEUVER TO AVOID A VEHICLE. SUBSEQUENTLY, AT 10 FEET AGL, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK 1.5 INCH-DIAMETER TREE BRANCHES. THE MAIN ROTOR RPM DECREASED, THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD ON THE ROAD, AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED AND SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM. THE PILOT ESTIMATED 300 POUNDS OF FUEL WAS ON BOARD AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ON MARCH 14, 2002, AT A FACILITY IN TULSA, AN FAA INSPECTOR, THE OPERATOR'S DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE, AND THE PILOT EXAMINED THE HELICOPTER. PRIOR TO THE FAA INSPECTOR'S ARRIVAL, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND MAIN ROTOR MAST HAD BEEN REMOVED. DURING THE INSPECTION, THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND TEST RUN TO IDLE SPEED, AND NO ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. THE FUEL NOZZLE AND FUEL FILTERS WERE INSPECTED, AND NO ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS NOT DETERMINED. ## 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 FTW02LA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA089), Mar 4, 2002: Bell 206L-3 (N227H), Tulsa, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. 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.