20090313002369A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 222 · Milliken, CO · March 13, 2009

Date: March 13, 2009 · 16:25 local
Place: Milliken, CO
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N222LL
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN09CA218
Reported as: Bell 222
Reported engine: Lycoming LTS101*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,780 total170 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N222LLRegistered now · Bell 222S/N 47060 · Built 1981 Airframe modelBell 222 Engine modelLycoming LTS-101 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.

(-23) Aircraft departed apa, 30 minutes into flight while over the town of Milliken, CO the left engine cowling opened striking both main rotor blades causing minor damage to the blades and tearing off most of the cowl door. The liberated part of the cowl door then struck the tail rotor causing damage to both tail rotor blades. The pilot believed that he had hit a bird and then chose to return to apa where he made an uneventful landing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED APA, 30 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT WHILE OVER THE TOWN OF MILLIKEN, CO THE LEFT ENGINE COWLING OPENED STRIKING BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BLADES AND TEARING OFF MOST OF THE COWL DOOR. THE LIBERATED PART OF THE COWL DOOR THEN STRUCK THE TAIL ROTOR CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADES. THE PILOT BELIEVED THAT HE HAD HIT A BIRD AND THEN CHOSE TO RETURN TO APA WHERE HE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING.

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 CEN09CA218Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportMilliken, COThe separation of the left engine cowling for undetermined reasons.Mar 13, 2009 · Substantial damage