20120426005909A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Amarillo, TX · April 26, 2012

Date: April 26, 2012 · 17:00 local
Place: Amarillo, TX
Airport: Rick Husband Amarillo Internat
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N2068X
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN12LA258
Reported as: Bell 206B
Reported engine: Allison 250 SER 250HP
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,105 total312 in this make and model107 in the last 90 days

N2068XRegistration cancelled Sep 7, 2017 · Bell 206BS/N 3393 · Built 1981 Airframe modelBell 206B Engine modelAllison 250 SER 250HPTurbo-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 April 26, 2012, at approximately 1700 CDT, a Bell 206B jet ranger approached Rick Husband Amarillo international airport from the north. As the helicopter was transitioning from forward flight into a hover at the intersections of charlie and papa, the helicopter rotated to the right (west) continued rotating 360 degrees and impacted hard in a slightly nose up attitude. The main rotor hub and main rotor blades separated from the main rotor mast. The lower section of the vertical fin impacted and were crushed. The tail rotor blades separated from the tail rotor hub. Both main skids deformed upwards from the impact. There was structural deformation to both sides and the lower part of the fuselage. The pilot and observer were taken to the hospital for observation, sustaining minor injuries.

As the FAA filed it

ON APRIL 26, 2012, AT APPROXIMATELY 1700 CDT, A BELL 206B JET RANGER APPROACHED RICK HUSBAND AMARILLO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FROM THE NORTH. AS THE HELICOPTER WAS TRANSITIONING FROM FORWARD FLIGHT INTO A HOVER AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF CHARLIE AND PAPA, THE HELICOPTER ROTATED TO THE RIGHT (WEST) CONTINUED ROTATING 360 DEGREES AND IMPACTED HARD IN A SLIGHTLY NOSE UP ATTITUDE. THE MAIN ROTOR HUB AND MAIN ROTOR BLADES SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN ROTOR MAST. THE LOWER SECTION OF THE VERTICAL FIN IMPACTED AND WERE CRUSHED. THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES SEPARATED FROM THE TAIL ROTOR HUB. BOTH MAIN SKIDS DEFORMED UPWARDS FROM THE IMPACT. THERE WAS STRUCTURAL DEFORMATION TO BOTH SIDES AND THE LOWER PART OF THE FUSELAGE. THE PILOT AND OBSERVER WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR OBSERVATION, SUSTAINING MINOR INJURIES.

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 CEN12LA258Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAmarillo, TXThe pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control during landing in gusty wind conditions associated with a thunderstorm, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.Apr 26, 2012 · Substantial damage