What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 28, 2013, about 1030 mountain standard time, a Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1, N2018R, sustained substantial damage during an emergency landing, about 12 miles west of the Payson airport (pan) Payson, Arizona.
The helicopter was registered to gm leasing company LLC and operated by
Airlift helicopters under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 135.
The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries and none of the 5 passengers were injured.
Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company visual flight rules, flight plan was filed for the local flight.
The flight departed ksdl, scottsdale, Arizona at 0910, with a planned destination of flagstaff pulliam airport, flagstaff, Arizona.
The pilot was interviewed on September 4, 2013. In this interview he stated that the purpose of the flight was for the passengers to look for potential facility sites, fly to the meteor crater in winslow, AZ, land in flagstaff, AZ for a meeting and return back to ksdl.
He stated that as he flew along the verde river and east of the tonto confluence the helicopter experienced a loss of engine power while in cruise flight at about 1,500 feet, above ground level. He continued that he performed an autorotation emergency landing. The helicopter landed hard and the tail boom separated.
The helicopter was recovered to a local storage facility for further examination.
On September 10, 2013 through September 11, 2013 an investigation at the storage facility was conducted including an initial breakdown and inspection of the engine.
At the time of this report no mechanical defects were found. The engine was packed and shipped to the manufacturer's facility for further testing.
Any new information relating to the engine and mechanical defects found as a result of that further inspection will be addended to this report.
An inspection of the aircraft fuselage revealed that the skids were crushed and bent backwards from the impact.
The fuselage itself had damage to the underside including crushing and broken plastic on the underside viewports. The upper portion of the fuselage had damage on the right side helicopter viewport.
The entire tail boom assembly was separated from the helicopter including the horizontal and vertical components. The separation occurred approximately 27 inches aft of the connection point.
The aft rotor was connected to the tail assemble and one rotor blade was bent out at a 90 degree angle.
The main rotor had damage to the rods and the blades separated from the main rotor assembly. One blade had red and blue paint transfer extending 57 inches from the connecting point down the length of the leading edge of the blade.
The interior of the helicopter was intact with no apparent damage. It contained 2 seats in the pilot compartment and 4 seats in the passenger compartment, 2 facing forward and 2 facing aft.
There were multiple required documents, manuals and equipment found on board and additional miscellaneous passenger convenience items and emergency equipment.
It was noted that the auto ignition switch was in the off position and that several circuit breakers were pulled, including the left and right fuel boost breakers, the hyd system breaker, the gov cont breaker and the engine igntr breaker.
The external baggage held multiple items including miscellaneous cleaning sprays, a survival kit, a tool bag, rope and other sundry items.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 28, 2013, ABOUT 1030 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON 206L-1, N2018R, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING, ABOUT 12 MILES WEST OF THE PAYSON AIRPORT (PAN) PAYSON, ARIZONA.
THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO GM LEASING COMPANY LLC AND OPERATED BY
AIRLIFT HELICOPTERS UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135.
THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND NONE OF THE 5 PASSENGERS WERE INJURED.
VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A COMPANY VISUAL FLIGHT RULES, FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT.
THE FLIGHT DEPARTED KSDL, SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA AT 0910, WITH A PLANNED DESTINATION OF FLAGSTAFF PULLIAM AIRPORT, FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA.
THE PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2013. IN THIS INTERVIEW HE STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS FOR THE PASSENGERS TO LOOK FOR POTENTIAL FACILITY SITES, FLY TO THE METEOR CRATER IN WINSLOW, AZ, LAND IN FLAGSTAFF, AZ FOR A MEETING AND RETURN BACK TO KSDL.
HE STATED THAT AS HE FLEW ALONG THE VERDE RIVER AND EAST OF THE TONTO CONFLUENCE THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT ABOUT 1,500 FEET, ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. HE CONTINUED THAT HE PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION EMERGENCY LANDING. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED.
THE HELICOPTER WAS RECOVERED TO A LOCAL STORAGE FACILITY FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.
ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2013 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 11, 2013 AN INVESTIGATION AT THE STORAGE FACILITY WAS CONDUCTED INCLUDING AN INITIAL BREAKDOWN AND INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE.
AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS WERE FOUND. THE ENGINE WAS PACKED AND SHIPPED TO THE MANUFACTURER'S FACILITY FOR FURTHER TESTING.
ANY NEW INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ENGINE AND MECHANICAL DEFECTS FOUND AS A RESULT OF THAT FURTHER INSPECTION WILL BE ADDENDED TO THIS REPORT.
AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE REVEALED THAT THE SKIDS WERE CRUSHED AND BENT BACKWARDS FROM THE IMPACT.
THE FUSELAGE ITSELF HAD DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE INCLUDING CRUSHING AND BROKEN PLASTIC ON THE UNDERSIDE VIEWPORTS. THE UPPER PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE HAD DAMAGE ON THE RIGHT SIDE HELICOPTER VIEWPORT.
THE ENTIRE TAIL BOOM ASSEMBLY WAS SEPARATED FROM THE HELICOPTER INCLUDING THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL COMPONENTS. THE SEPARATION OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 27 INCHES AFT OF THE CONNECTION POINT.
THE AFT ROTOR WAS CONNECTED TO THE TAIL ASSEMBLE AND ONE ROTOR BLADE WAS BENT OUT AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE.
THE MAIN ROTOR HAD DAMAGE TO THE RODS AND THE BLADES SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN ROTOR ASSEMBLY. ONE BLADE HAD RED AND BLUE PAINT TRANSFER EXTENDING 57 INCHES FROM THE CONNECTING POINT DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE LEADING EDGE OF THE BLADE.
THE INTERIOR OF THE HELICOPTER WAS INTACT WITH NO APPARENT DAMAGE. IT CONTAINED 2 SEATS IN THE PILOT COMPARTMENT AND 4 SEATS IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, 2 FACING FORWARD AND 2 FACING AFT.
THERE WERE MULTIPLE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS, MANUALS AND EQUIPMENT FOUND ON BOARD AND ADDITIONAL MISCELLANEOUS PASSENGER CONVENIENCE ITEMS AND EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT.
IT WAS NOTED THAT THE AUTO IGNITION SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POSITION AND THAT SEVERAL CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE PULLED, INCLUDING THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL BOOST BREAKERS, THE HYD SYSTEM BREAKER, THE GOV CONT BREAKER AND THE ENGINE IGNTR BREAKER.
THE EXTERNAL BAGGAGE HELD MULTIPLE ITEMS INCLUDING MISCELLANEOUS CLEANING SPRAYS, A SURVIVAL KIT, A TOOL BAG, ROPE AND OTHER SUNDRY ITEMS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.