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20080209010439A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hughes OH-6A · Valentine, TX · February 9, 2008

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Date
February 9, 2008 · 11:15 local
Place
Valentine, TX
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N66372
Reported as
Hughes OH6A
Reported engine
Allison 250C20B
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,014 total254 in this make and model140 in the last 90 days
N66372Registration cancelled Nov 12, 2010 · Hughes OH-6AS/N 6716595Airframe modelHughes OH-6A

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 February 9, 2008, at approximately 1115 CST, the pilot privacy data omitted was operating N66372, a Hughes 500/OH6A, owned by the us border patrol service (usbps). The pilot was patrolling an area over a privately owned ranch located approximately 1/2 mile west of us 90 and 13 miles northwest of Valentine, Texas. The pilot was 30 feet above the ground maneuvering about 20 knots when he received an N2 warning light and aural warning regarding the N2 governor. The pilot radioed "mayday" to other usbps personnel on the ground. The helicopter lost power, resulting in a hard landing causing substantial damage to the left landing skid, left side skin, the floor under the left seat, and tail boom mount. The pilot stated he added additional throttle but the engine failed to respond. He cushioned the impact by adding additional collective. The tail boom was not damaged by the rotor blades. Two witnesses reported a sudden change in the sound of the engine just prior to the accident. The engine compartment was inspected and the N2 governor linkage was not connected. Usbps personnel stated the nut connecting the N2 governor linkage came loose, which caused the power loss.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON FEBRUARY 9, 2008, AT APPROXIMATELY 1115 CST, THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS OPERATING N66372, A HUGHES 500/OH6A, OWNED BY THE US BORDER PATROL SERVICE (USBPS). THE PILOT WAS PATROLLING AN AREA OVER A PRIVATELY OWNED RANCH LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE WEST OF US 90 AND 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF VALENTINE, TEXAS. THE PILOT WAS 30 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND MANEUVERING ABOUT 20 KNOTS WHEN HE RECEIVED AN N2 WARNING LIGHT AND AURAL WARNING REGARDING THE N2 GOVERNOR. THE PILOT RADIOED "MAYDAY" TO OTHER USBPS PERSONNEL ON THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER LOST POWER, RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT LANDING SKID, LEFT SIDE SKIN, THE FLOOR UNDER THE LEFT SEAT, AND TAIL BOOM MOUNT. THE PILOT STATED HE ADDED ADDITIONAL THROTTLE BUT THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESPOND. HE CUSHIONED THE IMPACT BY ADDING ADDITIONAL COLLECTIVE. THE TAIL BOOM WAS NOT DAMAGED BY THE ROTOR BLADES. TWO WITNESSES REPORTED A SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS INSPECTED AND THE N2 GOVERNOR LINKAGE WAS NOT CONNECTED. USBPS PERSONNEL STATED THE NUT CONNECTING THE N2 GOVERNOR LINKAGE CAME LOOSE, WHICH CAUSED THE POWER LOSS.