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20050205000889A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Bonifay, FL · February 5, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 5, 2005 · 05:50 local
Place
Bonifay, FL
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
US4R
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N35BA
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA05FA055
Reported as
Bell 206B
Reported engine
Allison 250C20B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N35BARegistration cancelled Jun 6, 2007 · Bell 206BS/N 487Airframe modelBell 206B

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) Helicopter departed at approximately 0550 from a pasture on a 090 heading climbing to 75' to 100' and traveled 300'. The helicopter immediately turned to a 180 heading and traveled approximately 420' then entered into a slight nose low descent for approximately 140' then dropped suddenly impacting the ground 200' from the point of initial descent. The total airborne distance was no more than 1000'. The helicopter impacted the ground on its main landing gear. Impact marks on the ground showed no forward motion on impact, with the greater impact force exerted on the right gear. Upon impact the helicopter rolled right, the main rotor blade contacted the ground and inertia force detached the transmission and rotor head assembly from the transmission deck. The helicopter ended resting inverted. The engine compressor and turbine assembly rotated freely and was still linked to the tail rotor output shaft. All indications suggest the engine was operating at impact. The tail rotor and spider assembly was complete and undamaged. The tail rotor gear boxes rotated freely and were connected to the tail rotor drive shaft. .25 gallons of fuel remained in the fuel cell. Lat. 30-59.512 long. 85-48.010

As the FAA filed it

(-23) HELICOPTER DEPARTED AT APPROXIMATELY 0550 FROM A PASTURE ON A 090 HEADING CLIMBING TO 75' TO 100' AND TRAVELED 300'. THE HELICOPTER IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO A 180 HEADING AND TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 420' THEN ENTERED INTO A SLIGHT NOSE LOW DESCENT FOR APPROXIMATELY 140' THEN DROPPED SUDDENLY IMPACTING THE GROUND 200' FROM THE POINT OF INITIAL DESCENT. THE TOTAL AIRBORNE DISTANCE WAS NO MORE THAN 1000'. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND ON ITS MAIN LANDING GEAR. IMPACT MARKS ON THE GROUND SHOWED NO FORWARD MOTION ON IMPACT, WITH THE GREATER IMPACT FORCE EXERTED ON THE RIGHT GEAR. UPON IMPACT THE HELICOPTER ROLLED RIGHT, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE CONTACTED THE GROUND AND INERTIA FORCE DETACHED THE TRANSMISSION AND ROTOR HEAD ASSEMBLY FROM THE TRANSMISSION DECK. THE HELICOPTER ENDED RESTING INVERTED. THE ENGINE COMPRESSOR AND TURBINE ASSEMBLY ROTATED FREELY AND WAS STILL LINKED TO THE TAIL ROTOR OUTPUT SHAFT. ALL INDICATIONS SUGGEST THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT IMPACT. THE TAIL ROTOR AND SPIDER ASSEMBLY WAS COMPLETE AND UNDAMAGED. THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOXES ROTATED FREELY AND WERE CONNECTED TO THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. .25 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED IN THE FUEL CELL. LAT. 30-59.512 LONG. 85-48.010

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 MIA05FA055Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportBonifay, FLThe pilot's failure to maintain a climb after takeoff and his continued descent which resulted in an in-flight collision with the ground. A factor in the accident was the dark night.Feb 5, 2005 · Substantial damage