20110831020859I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell 206B · Frost Proof, FL · August 31, 2011

Date: August 31, 2011 · 21:15 local
Place: Frost Proof, FL
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N56AL
Reported as: Bell 206B
Reported engine: Allison 250-C20B
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor

N56ALRegistered now · Bell 206BS/N 1402 · Built 1974 Airframe modelBell 206B Engine modelAllison 250-C20BTurbo-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.

While in flight, pilot experienced severe vibration, emergency descent and landing in an open field without injuries. Tail rotor gearbox was partially held on by one of four bolts. It was found that (1) tail rotor blade counter weight located inside the end cap of the tail rotor blade had departed thus causing "unbalancing" and severe vibration tothe tail rotor blades and gearbox.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE IN FLIGHT, PILOT EXPERIENCED SEVERE VIBRATION, EMERGENCY DESCENT AND LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD WITHOUT INJURIES.TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX WAS PARTIALLY HELD ON BY ONE OF FOUR BOLTS.IT WAS FOUND THAT (1) TAIL ROTOR BLADE COUNTER WEIGHT LOCATED INSIDE THE END CAP OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE HAD DEPARTED THUS CAUSING "UNBALANCING" AND SEVERE VIBRATION TOTHE TAIL ROTOR BLADES AND GEARBOX.