20141002023339A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Refugio, TX · October 2, 2014

Date: October 2, 2014 · 13:15 local
Place: Refugio, TX
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N49746
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN15LA002
Reported as: Bell 206B
Reported engine: Allison 250-C20C
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 3
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 13,916 total35 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N49746Registration cancelled Mar 5, 2018 · Bell 206BS/N 1928 · Built 1976 Airframe modelBell 206B Engine modelAllison 250-C20CTurbo-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.

Aircraft was heavely loaded while performing pipeline patrol. Suspect power loss with aircraft positioned over some power tranmission lines, pilot was unable to perform an autorotation resulting in helicopter spinning about the vertical axis and crashing into the ground.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS HEAVELY LOADED WHILE PERFORMING PIPELINE PATROL. SUSPECT POWER LOSS WITH AIRCRAFT POSITIONED OVER SOME POWER TRANMISSION LINES, PILOT WAS UNABLE TO PERFORM AN AUTOROTATION RESULTING IN HELICOPTER SPINNING ABOUT THE VERTICAL AXIS AND CRASHING INTO THE GROUND.

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 CEN15LA002Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWoodsboro, TXThe pilot’s failure to recognize and correct for flight conditions conducive to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness, which resulted in a rapid, uncommanded right yaw and subsequent hard landing.Oct 2, 2014 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N49746 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19810519026869ATo Vertical (Helicopter Only) · Metagorda 526l, TXTried to take off with skids tied down. Helicopter fell off helipad onto lower deck. Tie-down not flagged.May 19, 1981 · Substantial damage