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20120604011249A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 427 · Indiantown, FL · June 4, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 4, 2012 · 10:19 local
Place
Indiantown, FL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N427AL
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA12LA379
Reported as
Bell 427
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,800 total1,350 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N427ALRegistration cancelled Oct 18, 2012 · Bell 427S/N 56018Airframe modelBell 427

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.

N427AL appears to have struck a large bird in the helicopters rotor system at an altitude of approximately 800'. The pilot's reported that the helicopter immediately began shaking at which time the p.I.c. initiated an emergency descent to the closest, suitable landing area. The helicopter's level of vibration was described as "violent" and at approximately 50 to 25 feet began an uncommanded right yaw. On landing, the pilot's reported the left rear skid hit the ground causing a dynamic rollover with the aircraft coming to rest on its left side. The accident site inspection along with the following aircraft inspection confirmed that the helicopter had come to rest on it's left side. The tail section was detached from the fuselage from a combination, ground strike and contact with the rotor blades. Two of the four rotor blade pitch control servos were found broken with possible bird remains on them. Dna samples of the possible bird remains along with the broken pitch control servos have been provided to the NTSB for further analysis.

As the FAA filed it

N427AL APPEARS TO HAVE STRUCK A LARGE BIRD IN THE HELICOPTERS ROTOR SYSTEM AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 800'. THE PILOT'S REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER IMMEDIATELY BEGAN SHAKING AT WHICH TIME THE P.I.C. INITIATED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT TO THE CLOSEST, SUITABLE LANDING AREA. THE HELICOPTER'S LEVEL OF VIBRATION WAS DESCRIBED AS "VIOLENT" AND AT APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 25 FEET BEGAN AN UNCOMMANDED RIGHT YAW. ON LANDING, THE PILOT'S REPORTED THE LEFT REAR SKID HIT THE GROUND CAUSING A DYNAMIC ROLLOVER WITH THE AIRCRAFT COMING TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE ACCIDENT SITE INSPECTION ALONG WITH THE FOLLOWING AIRCRAFT INSPECTION CONFIRMED THAT THE HELICOPTER HAD COME TO REST ON IT'S LEFT SIDE. THE TAIL SECTION WAS DETACHED FROM THE FUSELAGE FROM A COMBINATION, GROUND STRIKE AND CONTACT WITH THE ROTOR BLADES. TWO OF THE FOUR ROTOR BLADE PITCH CONTROL SERVOS WERE FOUND BROKEN WITH POSSIBLE BIRD REMAINS ON THEM.DNA SAMPLES OF THE POSSIBLE BIRD REMAINS ALONG WITH THE BROKEN PITCH CONTROL SERVOS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO THE NTSB FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS.

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 ERA12LA379Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportIndiantown, FLThe inflight collision with birds, resulting in damage to the rotor head assembly and a subsequent forced landing and rollover.Jun 4, 2012 · Substantial damage