20131026021419A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell OH-58A · Jefferson City, MO · October 26, 2013

Date: October 26, 2013 · 13:05 local
Place: Jefferson City, MO
Airport: Jefferson City Memorial
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N283MP
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN14TA020
Reported as: Bell OH-58A
Reported engine: Allison 250
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,456 total96 in this make and model108 in the last 90 days

N283MPRegistered now · Bell OH-58AS/N 68-16918 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.

While climbing out on the downwind leg of runway 30, the engine began to surge. The instructor pilot immediately lowered the collective, rolled the throttle to the idle position and entered an autorotation for landing. On landing, the left skid caught in the soft soil and rotated the helicopter counterclockwise approximately 180 degrees. During the landing and rotation, the main rotor struck the tail boom causing it to separate.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE CLIMBING OUT ON THE DOWNWIND LEG OF RUNWAY 30, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SURGE. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE, ROLLED THE THROTTLE TO THE IDLE POSITION AND ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION FOR LANDING. ON LANDING, THE LEFT SKID CAUGHT IN THE SOFT SOIL AND ROTATED THE HELICOPTER COUNTERCLOCKWISE APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES. DURING THE LANDING AND ROTATION, THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM CAUSING IT TO SEPARATE.

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 CEN14TA020Accident · Minor injuriesFinal reportJefferson City, MOThe loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examinations of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.Oct 26, 2013 · Substantial damage