OpenAirDocs.org

20060407004449A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Sprague, WA · April 7, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
April 7, 2006 · 10:00 local
Place
Sprague, WA
Phase of flight
Hovering
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
NTWA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N96NW
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA06TA071
Reported as
Bell 206B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
25,200 total19,500 in this make and model188 in the last 90 days
N96NWRegistered now · Bell 206BS/N 4389 · Built 1995Airframe modelBell 206BEngine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

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 pilot privacy data omitted was flying with two Washington state fish and wildlife people bagging and tagging mule deer in the draws due east of Sprague Washington. He flew around the end of a butte westward in a 50 foot deep draw, a mule deer was netted, and he stopped the helicopter and turned around back towards the deer level with and slightly south of the next bluff ridge. Evidence shows that one (1) main rotor blade clipped the edge of the butte, 9 inches of said blade left the helicopter, and split open another foot or so, causing a left and drag imbalance making the helicopter uncontrollable. The pilot privacy data omitted got above the relatively flat butte, made a 270 degree turn and landed the helicopter on its skids. The helicopter rolled onto its side due to an imbalanced rotor system, snapped the mast, the engine/transmission broke loose partially from the engine bed and caught fire, and the tail rotor struck the ground breaking off 6 inches of each blade. All of the helicopter was at the accident site except for the tail rotor blade tips which flung up to 75 feet from the wreckage, and the tip of one main rotor blade that was located closer to the blade impact point 275FEET away.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ WAS FLYING WITH TWO WASHINGTON STATE FISH AND WILDLIFE PEOPLE BAGGING AND TAGGING MULE DEER IN THE DRAWS DUE EAST OF SPRAGUE WASHINGTON. HE FLEW AROUND THE END OF A BUTTE WESTWARD IN A 50 FOOT DEEP DRAW, A MULE DEER WAS NETTED, AND HE STOPPED THE HELICOPTER AND TURNED AROUND BACK TOWARDS THE DEER LEVEL WITH AND SLIGHTLY SOUTH OF THE NEXT BLUFF RIDGE. EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT ONE (1) MAIN ROTOR BLADE CLIPPED THE EDGE OF THE BUTTE, 9 INCHES OF SAID BLADE LEFT THE HELICOPTER, AND SPLIT OPEN ANOTHER FOOT OR SO, CAUSING A LEFT AND DRAG IMBALANCE MAKING THE HELICOPTER UNCONTROLLABLE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ GOT ABOVE THE RELATIVELY FLAT BUTTE, MADE A 270 DEGREE TURN AND LANDED THE HELICOPTER ON ITS SKIDS. THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO ITS SIDE DUE TO AN IMBALANCED ROTOR SYSTEM, SNAPPED THE MAST, THE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION BROKE LOOSE PARTIALLY FROM THE ENGINE BED AND CAUGHT FIRE, AND THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND BREAKING OFF 6 INCHES OF EACH BLADE. ALL OF THE HELICOPTER WAS AT THE ACCIDENT SITE EXCEPT FOR THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE TIPS WHICH FLUNG UP TO 75 FEET FROM THE WRECKAGE, AND THE TIP OF ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE THAT WAS LOCATED CLOSER TO THE BLADE IMPACT POINT 275FEET AWAY.

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 SEA06TA071Accident · No injuriesFinal reportSprague, WAThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain while maneuvering. Mountainous terrain was a factor.Apr 7, 2006 · Substantial damage