# Accident 20021017031289A: Bell 206L1, Edinburg, TX, October 17, 2002

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 17, 2002, 16:00 local time
- Place: Edinburg, TX
- Damage: Destroyed
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: C9PA
- Location: 26.4419° N, 98.1294° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.4419&lon=-98.1294&mi=10
- Aircraft: N303CH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N303CH-2003-04-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 (registry code 1182107, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-textron-206l-1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW03LA015](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA015) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021017031289A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.19) ON OCTOBER 17, 2002, AT 1600 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206L-1 HELICOPTER, N303CH, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT LANDED HARD FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL NEAR EDINBURG, TEXAS. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY CENTRAL HELICOPTERS INC., OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED, AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A SERIOUS INJURY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135 ON-DEMAND AIR TAXI FLIGHT. THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE STAGING AREA NEAR THE SCHLITTERBAHN WATER PARK, SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS, AND WAS DESTINED FOR A STAGING AREA AT THE PAN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, EDINBURG, TEXAS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING FINAL APPROACH TO THE STAGING AREA IN EDINBURG HE "RAN OUT OF PEDAL," AND THE HELICOPTER STARTED SPINNING TO THE RIGHT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD. THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OF THE HELICOPTER. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, WHO EXAMINED THE HELICOPTER, THE SKIDS WERE SPREAD, THE BELLY WAS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED, THE TAILBOOM WAS BENT DOWNWARD, AND THE TAILROTOR BLADES WEREDAMAGED. THE INSPECTOR ESTABLISHED FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY FOR THE TAILROTOR DRIVE SYSTEM. (-23) ON OCTOBER 17, 2002, AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 CDT, N303CH, A BHT 206L-1, OWNED AND OPERATED BY CENTRAL HELICOPTER SERVICES WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A HARD LANDING. THE HARD LANDING WAS A RESULT OF LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE CAMPUS OF UT-PAN AM IN EDINBURG, TEXAS. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THREE PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND ONE SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 135 FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND TO THE NORTH WITH A WIND OF APPROXIMATELY 15 KNOTS FROM THE SOUTHEAST. THE TAIL ROTOR BECAME INEFFECTIVE DURING THE APPROACH AND THE AIRCRAFT SPUN TO THE RIGHT FIVE TIMES BEFORE CONTACTING THE GROUND. THE SKIDS COLLAPSED, THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND AND THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK A SMALL TREE.

## 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 FTW03LA015](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA015), Oct 17, 2002: Bell 206L-1 (N303CH), Edinburg, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of tailrotor effectiveness due to the right quartering tailwind, which resulted in a hard landing. Factors were the lack of suitable surrounding terrain for landing, which included numerous…

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.