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20050713014579A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 206L1 · West Plains, MO · July 13, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 13, 2005 · 10:00 local
Place
West Plains, MO
Phase of flight
Sfl Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
EVCA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2756A
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI05LA186
Reported as
Bell 206L1
Reported engine
Allison 250C28B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,101 total4,976 in this make and model19 in the last 90 days

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) On training flight, check airman initiated and simulated an engine failure. Pilot lowered collective, entered autorotation and reduced power to flight idle. Upon power recovery, throttle was advanced to 100%. The engine out light illuminated, audio was heard and RPM decayed rapidly. A full autorotation was entered with a landing into a pasture and high grass. Upon landing, the main rotor struck the tail boom and severed it approx. 2' inboard of tail rotor gear box. During investigation, fuel control unit rigging was checked and appeared to be within limits. Aircraft had approx. 400# of fuel on board, verified visually. Fuel samples pulled from tanks was clean. Fuel sample taken at the fuel injector nozzle was clean. However, with full throttle, motoring engine, the fuel stream to the nozzle did not appear to be as strong as normal. At engine removal, when fuel line to the pump was removed, the mechanic said it appeared the amount of fuel that drained from the fuel pump inlet appeared to be more than was normal.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON TRAINING FLIGHT, CHECK AIRMAN INITIATED AND SIMULATED AN ENGINE FAILURE. PILOT LOWERED COLLECTIVE, ENTERED AUTOROTATION AND REDUCED POWER TO FLIGHT IDLE. UPON POWER RECOVERY, THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED TO 100%. THE ENGINE OUT LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AUDIO WAS HEARD AND RPM DECAYED RAPIDLY. A FULL AUTOROTATION WAS ENTERED WITH A LANDING INTO A PASTURE AND HIGH GRASS. UPON LANDING, THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM AND SEVERED IT APPROX. 2' INBOARD OF TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX. DURING INVESTIGATION, FUEL CONTROL UNIT RIGGING WAS CHECKED AND APPEARED TO BE WITHIN LIMITS. AIRCRAFT HAD APPROX. 400# OF FUEL ON BOARD, VERIFIED VISUALLY. FUEL SAMPLES PULLED FROM TANKS WAS CLEAN. FUEL SAMPLE TAKEN AT THE FUEL INJECTOR NOZZLE WAS CLEAN. HOWEVER, WITH FULL THROTTLE, MOTORING ENGINE, THE FUEL STREAM TO THE NOZZLE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE AS STRONG AS NORMAL. AT ENGINE REMOVAL, WHEN FUEL LINE TO THE PUMP WAS REMOVED, THE MECHANIC SAID IT APPEARED THE AMOUNT OF FUEL THAT DRAINED FROM THE FUEL PUMP INLET APPEARED TO BE MORE THAN WAS NORMAL.

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 CHI05LA186Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWest Plains, MOA loss of engine power for undetermined reasons during the intentional autorotation. The pilot's misjudgment of the touchdown flare leading to a hard landing was an additional cause. A contributing factor was the intentional autorotation.Jul 13, 2005 · Substantial damage