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20081013850829A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell 206-L4 · Conroe, TX · October 13, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 13, 2008 · 11:09 local
Place
Conroe, TX
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N6ZV
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN09FA012
Reported as
Bell 206L4
Reported engine
Allison 250C28
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
6,099 total3,233 in this make and model244 in the last 90 days
N6ZVRegistration cancelled Jul 17, 2013 · Bell 206-L4S/N 52046 · Built 1993Airframe modelBell 206-L4Engine modelAllison 250-C28 seriesTurbo-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.

On October 13, 2008, at 1109 central daylight time, a Bell 206L-4, N6ZV, was destroyed when the engine lost power and the helicopter struck trees, impacted terrain and experienced a post crash fire in Conroe, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The PIC, a commercial pilot and a news photographer-passenger aboard the helicopter were fatally injured. The flight originated at houston's hobby airport approximately 1040, and was enroute to Conroe, Texas. A witness reported seeing the low-flying helicopter bank steeply to the right before descending nose down. The on-scene examination of the wreckage revealed one tail rotor blade was straight and the other blade was bent 90 degrees. One main rotor blade remained attached to the hub and exhibited only trailing edge and mid-cord damage. The stub of the other rotor blade remained attached to the hub, but the remainder of the composite blade was destroyed in the fire. Damage to the blades were consistent with no power impact.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 13, 2008, AT 1109 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206L-4, N6ZV, WAS DESTROYED WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE HELICOPTER STRUCK TREES, IMPACTED TERRAIN AND EXPERIENCED A POST CRASH FIRE IN CONROE, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PIC, A COMMERCIAL PILOT AND A NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER-PASSENGER ABOARD THE HELICOPTER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT HOUSTON'S HOBBY AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY 1040, AND WAS ENROUTE TO CONROE, TEXAS. A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE LOW-FLYING HELICOPTER BANK STEEPLY TO THE RIGHT BEFORE DESCENDING NOSE DOWN. THE ON-SCENE EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE WAS STRAIGHT AND THE OTHER BLADE WAS BENT 90 DEGREES. ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE HUB AND EXHIBITED ONLY TRAILING EDGE AND MID-CORD DAMAGE. THE STUB OF THE OTHER ROTOR BLADE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE HUB, BUT THE REMAINDER OF THE COMPOSITE BLADE WAS DESTROYED IN THE FIRE. DAMAGE TO THE BLADES WERE CONSISTENT WITH NO POWER IMPACT.

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 CEN09FA012Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportConroe, TXA loss of control for undetermined reasons.Oct 13, 2008 · Destroyed