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20020609014979A

Accident · No damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 206L-1 · Dover, AR · June 9, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 9, 2002 · 00:27 local
Place
Dover, AR
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
VE7A
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N103AE
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW02LA176
Reported as
Bell 206L1
N103AERegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45597 · Built 1981Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1Engine modelAllison 250 SER 250HPTurbo-shaft

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) The ems's helicopter tail rotor struck a tree during an approach to a landing site, approx 9 miles north of Dover ar. As the helicopter neared the landing zone, a light from a flashlight in the vicinity of the proposed landing zone was illuminated. The aircraft flew over the landing zone and started an approach from the south. The pilot determined that the approach was too high for proper approach and initiated a go-around. On the second approach, while using the landing light, the pilot leaned forward to scan the area ahead. He felt aircraft shudder and realized he had very little airspeed. The search light revealed that he had a high rate of descent when the pilot applied power to arrest the rate of descent. The pilot initiated a right turn and applied additional power. The pilot claims that he had entered into a settling with power situation. The helicopter turned 90 degrees and stabilized. The pilot applied additional power to climb above and clear the tree line. The pilot elected to fly the aircraft approximately 18 miles to the russellville ar regional airport with the known damaged tail rotor. Upon executing a normal shallow approach to the runway the pilot elected to taxi the aircraft to the hangar. He did a normal shutdown.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE EMS'S HELICOPTER TAIL ROTOR STRUCK A TREE DURING AN APPROACH TO A LANDING SITE, APPROX 9 MILES NORTH OF DOVER AR. AS THE HELICOPTER NEARED THE LANDING ZONE, A LIGHT FROM A FLASHLIGHT IN THE VICINITY OF THE PROPOSED LANDING ZONE WAS ILLUMINATED. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW OVER THE LANDING ZONE AND STARTED AN APPROACH FROM THE SOUTH. THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT THE APPROACH WAS TOO HIGH FOR PROPER APPROACH AND INITIATED A GO-AROUND. ON THE SECOND APPROACH, WHILE USING THE LANDING LIGHT, THE PILOT LEANED FORWARD TO SCAN THE AREA AHEAD. HE FELT AIRCRAFT SHUDDER AND REALIZED HE HAD VERY LITTLE AIRSPEED. THE SEARCH LIGHT REVEALED THAT HE HAD A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT WHEN THE PILOT APPLIED POWER TO ARREST THE RATE OF DESCENT. THE PILOT INITIATED A RIGHT TURN AND APPLIED ADDITIONAL POWER. THE PILOT CLAIMS THAT HE HAD ENTERED INTO A SETTLING WITH POWER SITUATION. THE HELICOPTER TURNED 90 DEGREES AND STABILIZED. THE PILOT APPLIED ADDITIONAL POWER TO CLIMB ABOVE AND CLEAR THE TREE LINE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 18 MILES TO THE RUSSELLVILLE AR REGIONAL AIRPORT WITH THE KNOWN DAMAGED TAIL ROTOR. UPON EXECUTING A NORMAL SHALLOW APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY THE PILOT ELECTED TO TAXI THE AIRCRAFT TO THE HANGAR. HE DID A NORMAL SHUTDOWN.

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 FTW02LA176Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportDover, ARThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance with trees during the approach. A contributing factor was dark night light conditions.Jun 9, 2002 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N103AE · 1

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

Accident 20031128034249AStarting Engines · Paris/Subiaco, AR(-23) The pilot in commamd failed to follow the checklist. In doing so, the pilot in command endangered the property and life of another. The bio-hazard area consisted of body fluids (blood) excreted from facial lacerations. On November 28, 2003, at…Nov 28, 2003 · Substantial damage