20110904022379A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 205A-1 · Tehachapi, CA · September 4, 2011

Date: September 4, 2011 · 14:45 local
Place: Tehachapi, CA
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: W3HL
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N205WW
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR11GA431
Reported as: Bell 205A-1
Reported engine: Honeywell T5317B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,100 total

N205WWRegistered now · Bell 205A-1S/N 30329 · Built 1980 Airframe modelBell 205A-1 Engine modelHoneywell T5317BTurbo-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.

On 09/04/2011 at 1445 PDT, N205WW landed hard during an off-field forced landing. The helicopter had a water bucket as an external load. The pilot stated that the engine had lost power. He released the bucket, and performed an auto rotation into a cleared field. The helicopter landed hard, the skids collapsed, and the tail boom buckled.

As the FAA filed it

ON 09/04/2011 AT 1445 PDT, N205WW LANDED HARD DURING AN OFF-FIELD FORCED LANDING. THE HELICOPTER HAD A WATER BUCKET AS AN EXTERNAL LOAD. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD LOST POWER. HE RELEASED THE BUCKET, AND PERFORMED AN AUTO ROTATION INTO A CLEARED FIELD. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD, THE SKIDS COLLAPSED, AND THE TAIL BOOM BUCKLED.

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 WPR11GA431Accident · Minor injuriesFinal reportTehachapi, CAThe pilot's inability to adequately execute an emergency autorotation due to the flight's low altitude during external load operations, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was a torsionally overstressed tachometer shaft, which sent…Sep 4, 2011 · Substantial damage