20100918055909A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell OH-58A · Covington, TN · September 18, 2010

Date: September 18, 2010 · 15:50 local
Place: Covington, TN
Airport: Covington
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: B8WG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N38FA
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA10LA484
Reported as: Bell OH-58A
Reported engine: Allison T63
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 20,000 total983 in this make and model283 in the last 90 days

N38FARegistered now · Bell OH-58AS/N 70-15448 Airframe modelBell OH-58A

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.

N38FA an OH58A had taken off from a fueling platform on top of a tanker truck. The weather was clear with variable wind at 2 mph. Fuel load was 150-170 lbs. And full chemical load of 80 gallons. The pilot stated he lifted off at 100% RPM to a height of 20-25 feet and was transitioning to forward air speed. The aircraft flew approximately 170 feet at 20 knots at which time the pilot stated he experienced two to three engine surges and a loss of engine RPM. The pilot stated he was too low to autorotate and landed on the skids causing the main rotor to flex down and cut the tail boom off of the airframe.

As the FAA filed it

N38FA AN OH58A HAD TAKEN OFF FROM A FUELING PLATFORM ON TOP OF A TANKER TRUCK. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR WITH VARIABLE WIND AT 2 MPH. FUEL LOAD WAS 150-170 LBS. AND FULL CHEMICAL LOAD OF 80 GALLONS. THE PILOT STATED HE LIFTED OFF AT 100% RPM TO A HEIGHT OF 20-25 FEET AND WAS TRANSITIONING TO FORWARD AIR SPEED. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW APPROXIMATELY 170 FEET AT 20 KNOTS AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT STATED HE EXPERIENCED TWO TO THREE ENGINE SURGES AND A LOSS OF ENGINE RPM. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS TOO LOW TO AUTOROTATE AND LANDED ON THE SKIDS CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR TO FLEX DOWN AND CUT THE TAIL BOOM OFF OF THE AIRFRAME.

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 ERA10LA484Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCovington, TNA loss of engine power due to contamination of the helicopter's fuel supply.Sep 18, 2010 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N38FA · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20120301003829ALanding: Touchdown · Eufaul, AL[privacy data omitted] Was receiving annual refresher training from [privacy data omitted]. After completing lowlevel airwork they climbed to 500 feet for autorotation work. At some point the helicopter went out of trim and just as they got it back in trim…Mar 1, 2012 · Substantial damage Accident 20030404010269ATo Vertical (Helicopter Only) · Westmoreland, CA(-23) A hose used to fill the chemical tank for aerial application was not removed before the pilot attempted to take off. When the slack in the hose was removed, the helicopter rotated toward one side and the rotor blades started striking the ground,…Apr 4, 2003 · Substantial damage