20020515009829I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell 206L-1 · Mesa, AZ · May 15, 2002

Date: May 15, 2002 · 16:00 local
Place: Mesa, AZ
Airport: Falcon Field Airport
Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: RMXA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N39112
Reported as: Bell 206L1
Reported engine: Allison 250C30P
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 8,600 total5,000 in this make and model55 in the last 90 days

N39112Registration cancelled Jun 11, 2003 · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45652 · Built 1981 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 Engine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

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) During practice autorotations the I.p. applied full throttle late and the intended "power recovery" resulted in a hard landing instead. Helicopter touched-down with some forward speed, bounced, turned 90 degrees to the right, but became airborne again when throttle took effect and came to rest 180 degrees from initial approach. Inspection of helicopter revealed landing skid(s) x-tubes bent, buckling of fuselage skin just below r/h eng. Compartment, search lite & lwr. Wire/cable cutter damaged, top of r/h vert. Fin contacted by underside of one (1) m/r/blade only. No personnel/flt. Crew injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING PRACTICE AUTOROTATIONS THE I.P. APPLIED FULL THROTTLE LATE AND THE INTENDED "POWER RECOVERY" RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING INSTEAD. HELICOPTER TOUCHED-DOWN WITH SOME FORWARD SPEED, BOUNCED, TURNED 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT, BUT BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN WHEN THROTTLE TOOK EFFECT AND CAME TO REST 180 DEGREES FROM INITIAL APPROACH. INSPECTION OF HELICOPTER REVEALED LANDING SKID(S) X-TUBES BENT, BUCKLING OF FUSELAGE SKIN JUST BELOW R/H ENG. COMPARTMENT, SEARCH LITE & LWR. WIRE/CABLE CUTTER DAMAGED, TOP OF R/H VERT. FIN CONTACTED BY UNDERSIDE OF ONE (1) M/R/BLADE ONLY. NO PERSONNEL/FLT. CREW INJURIES.