20090407007819A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · West Palm Beac, FL · April 7, 2009

Date
April 7, 2009 · 09:10 local
Place
West Palm Beac, FL
Airport
Palm Beach County Park
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
JJWA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N25PM
Reported as
Bell 206B
Reported engine
Allison 250C20B
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,800 total5,700 in this make and model157 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) Pilot had just dropped off one passenger and some light cargo onto a pier built in the preserve from which wildife is observed. Pilot was water taxing towards his 4 o'clock position at flight idle power and "some collective, to lighten the weight on the floats". When he was about 15 feet from the pier, he attempted to bring the helicopter into a hover. He felt the helicopter begin to roll to his right. He input full left cyclic and lowered collective, but the helicopter continued to roll right. Upon hearing the main rotor make water contact, he reduced power, and the craft came to rest inverted, in about a 110 degree roll attitude to the right from level. Pilot egressed the helicopter through the pilot's (right side) door, which had popped open. He reached back into the cockpit and secured fuel and the master switch.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT HAD JUST DROPPED OFF ONE PASSENGER AND SOME LIGHT CARGO ONTO A PIER BUILT IN THE PRESERVE FROM WHICH WILDIFE IS OBSERVED. PILOT WAS WATER TAXING TOWARDS HIS 4 O'CLOCK POSITION AT FLIGHT IDLE POWER AND "SOME COLLECTIVE, TO LIGHTEN THE WEIGHT ON THE FLOATS". WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 15 FEET FROM THE PIER, HE ATTEMPTED TO BRING THE HELICOPTER INTO A HOVER. HE FELT THE HELICOPTER BEGIN TO ROLL TO HIS RIGHT. HE INPUT FULL LEFT CYCLIC AND LOWERED COLLECTIVE, BUT THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO ROLL RIGHT. UPON HEARING THE MAIN ROTOR MAKE WATER CONTACT, HE REDUCED POWER, AND THE CRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED, IN ABOUT A 110 DEGREE ROLL ATTITUDE TO THE RIGHT FROM LEVEL. PILOT EGRESSED THE HELICOPTER THROUGH THE PILOT'S (RIGHT SIDE) DOOR, WHICH HAD POPPED OPEN. HE REACHED BACK INTO THE COCKPIT AND SECURED FUEL AND THE MASTER SWITCH.