20090611012099I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell 206L-1 · Gulf Of Mexico · June 11, 2009

Date: June 11, 2009 · 18:00 local
Place: Gulf Of Mexico
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: YTRA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N518RL
Reported as: Bell 206L1
Reported engine: Allison 250C30
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,318 total109 in this make and model105 in the last 90 days

N518RLRegistration cancelled Nov 13, 2015 · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45183 · Built 1978 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 Engine modelAllison 250 SER 250HPTurbo-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) Crew change from MP265 to MP277, N518RL. Picked up at MP265 to a hover gauge checks 85% torque rotor RPM and turbine in the green. N1 91.5, tot 600 deg. I armed the floats and departed MP265. Midway into the flight pilot noticed the low RPM light and horn. Pilot checked to make sure the throttle was full open, pilot simultaneously lower the collective. Throttle was full open and the engine gauge was in the green, but rotor RPM was still decaying. Pilots altitude was 400 ft, pilot lowered the collective and reduced speed to 60 knots. Pilot warned passenger he was going to make an emergency landing. Pilot contacted the main base to give his location, and landed the aircaft in the water. No injuries, to the passengers or the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) CREW CHANGE FROM MP265 TO MP277, N518RL. PICKED UP AT MP265 TO A HOVER GAUGE CHECKS 85% TORQUE ROTOR RPM AND TURBINE IN THE GREEN. N1 91.5, TOT 600 DEG. I ARMED THE FLOATS AND DEPARTED MP265. MIDWAY INTO THE FLIGHT PILOT NOTICED THE LOW RPM LIGHT AND HORN. PILOT CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THE THROTTLE WAS FULL OPEN, PILOT SIMULTANEOUSLY LOWER THE COLLECTIVE. THROTTLE WAS FULL OPEN AND THE ENGINE GAUGE WAS IN THE GREEN, BUT ROTOR RPM WAS STILL DECAYING. PILOTS ALTITUDE WAS 400 FT, PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND REDUCED SPEED TO 60 KNOTS. PILOT WARNED PASSENGER HE WAS GOING TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. PILOT CONTACTED THE MAIN BASE TO GIVE HIS LOCATION, AND LANDED THE AIRCAFT IN THE WATER. NO INJURIES, TO THE PASSENGERS OR THE PILOT.