20100910051699I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Bell Helico 206L-4 · September 10, 2010

Date: September 10, 2010 · 08:40 local
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: YTRA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N371RL
Reported as: Bell Helico 206L-4
Reported engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C30P
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,000 total2,900 in this make and model200 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.

While in cruise flight the helicopter experienced a compressor stall and a 20 to 30 degrees of right yaw. The pilot started a auto-rotation setting up for a emergency water landing, activated the floats and landed in the water without further problems. After landing the engine was running and he rolled the throttle to idle, shorty after which he closed the throttle, shutting down the engine and used the rotor brake to stop the blades from turning. The pilot and passengers boarded the life raft for safety in case the helicopter turns over, which it did. No injuries have been reported and the helicopter is being recovered.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A COMPRESSOR STALL AND A 20 TO 30 DEGREES OF RIGHT YAW. THE PILOT STARTED A AUTO-ROTATION SETTING UP FOR A EMERGENCY WATER LANDING, ACTIVATED THE FLOATS AND LANDED IN THE WATER WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEMS. AFTER LANDING THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND HE ROLLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE, SHORTY AFTER WHICH HE CLOSED THE THROTTLE, SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE AND USED THE ROTOR BRAKE TO STOP THE BLADES FROM TURNING. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS BOARDED THE LIFE RAFT FOR SAFETY IN CASE THE HELICOPTER TURNS OVER, WHICH IT DID. NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED AND THE HELICOPTER IS BEING RECOVERED.