20120301003829A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell OH-58A · Eufaul, AL · March 1, 2012

Date: March 1, 2012 · 12:00 local
Place: Eufaul, AL
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N38FA
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA12CA199
Reported as: Bell OH-58A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 22,000 total15,000 in this make and model1 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.

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 "the bottom fell out and we went vertically". The helicopoter sustained a hard landing striking the stinger and skids. Neither pilot could explain what happened. When interviewed on seperate days, both pilots said they were following through on the controls.

As the FAA filed it

^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 "THE BOTTOM FELL OUT AND WE WENT VERTICALLY". THE HELICOPOTER SUSTAINED A HARD LANDING STRIKING THE STINGER AND SKIDS. NEITHER PILOT COULD EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED. WHEN INTERVIEWED ON SEPERATE DAYS, BOTH PILOTS SAID THEY WERE FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THE CONTROLS.

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 ERA12CA199Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportEufaula, ALThe pilot's inadequate compensation for the gusting wind, which resulted in an excessive descent rate and hard landing.Mar 1, 2012 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N38FA · 2

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

Accident 20100918055909AHover/Holding · Covington, TNN38FA 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…Sep 18, 2010 · 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