20021108030469A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206L-1 · Albany, KY · November 8, 2002

Date: November 8, 2002 · 13:45 local
Place: Albany, KY
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: EVCA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N108AE
NTSB investigation: NTSBIAD03LA015
Reported as: Bell 206L1

N108AERegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45730 · Built 1981 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 Engine 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) Mr. Tharrett stated that he was making an approach to landing when the aircraft began turning to the right, he applied left rudder but there was no response. He continued to spin, so he initiated an autorotation. The fuselage straightened out, he added cyclic and collective, but the aircraft landed hard. There seemed to be a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. The skin on the tail boom was wrinkled as a result of the hard landing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) MR. THARRETT STATED THAT HE WAS MAKING AN APPROACH TO LANDING WHEN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TURNING TO THE RIGHT, HE APPLIED LEFT RUDDER BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. HE CONTINUED TO SPIN, SO HE INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION. THE FUSELAGE STRAIGHTENED OUT, HE ADDED CYCLIC AND COLLECTIVE, BUT THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD. THERE SEEMED TO BE A LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS. THE SKIN ON THE TAIL BOOM WAS WRINKLED AS A RESULT OF THE HARD LANDING.

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 IAD03LA015Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAlbany, KYThe pilot's inadequate in-flight planning, which resulted in an angle of approach in relative wind conditions conducive to a loss of helicopter tail rotor effectiveness. A factor was the obstacles surrounding the landing field.Nov 8, 2002 · Substantial damage