20130325004099I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell 206B · Clovis, NM · March 25, 2013

Date: March 25, 2013 · 10:00 local
Place: Clovis, NM
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N49748
Reported as: Bell 206B
Reported engine: Allison 250-C20 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,700 total1,300 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

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 25, 2013, the commercial rated helicopter pilot departed aeg (double eagle airport) albuquerque, NM, at about 7:00 am with a full tank of fuel for a power line survey. The aircraft had 2 passengers on board both employees of pnm, for a part 91 flight. About 2 hours and 15 mins into the flight, the aircraft was approaching restricted airspace near Clovis, NM. At that time they were denied entry into restricted airspace. Shortly after terminating the power line patrol the pilot noticed the decreasing rotor RPM and set-up for an auto rotation. The auto rotation was completed and the engine was still running at idle after the landing. There were no injuries and the tail boom on the aircraft was bent during the auto rotation.

As the FAA filed it

ON APRIL 25, 2013, THE COMMERCIAL RATED HELICOPTER PILOT DEPARTED AEG (DOUBLE EAGLE AIRPORT) ALBUQUERQUE, NM, AT ABOUT 7:00 AM WITH A FULL TANK OF FUEL FOR A POWER LINE SURVEY. THE AIRCRAFT HAD 2 PASSENGERS ON BOARD BOTH EMPLOYEES OF PNM, FOR A PART 91 FLIGHT. ABOUT 2 HOURS AND 15 MINS INTO THE FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROACHING RESTRICTED AIRSPACE NEAR CLOVIS, NM. AT THAT TIME THEY WERE DENIED ENTRY INTO RESTRICTED AIRSPACE. SHORTLY AFTER TERMINATING THE POWER LINE PATROL THE PILOT NOTICED THE DECREASING ROTOR RPM AND SET-UP FOR AN AUTO ROTATION. THE AUTO ROTATION WAS COMPLETED AND THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AT IDLE AFTER THE LANDING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE TAIL BOOM ON THE AIRCRAFT WAS BENT DURING THE AUTO ROTATION.