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20150216002099A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Lancaster, CA · February 16, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

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Date
February 16, 2015 · 11:50 local
Place
Lancaster, CA
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N54DE
Reported as
Bell 206B
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
N54DERegistration cancelled Jul 27, 2017 · Bell 206BS/N 2274Airframe modelBell 206B

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.

N54DE departed from van nuys airport (vny) approximately 10:00 local time enroute to william j fox field (wjf). While in-bound to fox field the pilot of N54DE requested to perform auto rotations. N54DE then landed at wjf and was on the ground approximately 20 minutes before departing to the south. About 30 minutes later N54DE returned to wjf, when the pilot contacted the tower, he reported he had a fuel leak and requested to land in a remote area on the airport. After landing four people exited the aircraft. About 20 minutes later N54DE departed wjf with two people on-board to return to elite helicopters at vny.

Personnel from elite helicopter stated when the helicopter landed; it came to a rest tail low and leaning to the right. Gilbert rousseau and simon davis, from elite helicopters, performed a quick inspection of N54DE. Damage to the helicopter appeared to be from a hard landing. The skids were broken from the mounts, fuel was leaking from an area by the rear skid cross tube, and the rotor mast had evidence of mast bumping.

As the FAA filed it

N54DE DEPARTED FROM VAN NUYS AIRPORT (VNY) APPROXIMATELY 10:00 LOCAL TIME ENROUTE TO WILLIAM J FOX FIELD (WJF). WHILE IN-BOUND TO FOX FIELD THE PILOT OF N54DE REQUESTED TO PERFORM AUTO ROTATIONS. N54DE THEN LANDED AT WJF AND WAS ON THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES BEFORE DEPARTING TO THE SOUTH. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER N54DE RETURNED TO WJF, WHEN THE PILOT CONTACTED THE TOWER, HE REPORTED HE HAD A FUEL LEAK AND REQUESTED TO LAND IN A REMOTE AREA ON THE AIRPORT. AFTER LANDING FOUR PEOPLE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER N54DE DEPARTED WJF WITH TWO PEOPLE ON-BOARD TO RETURN TO ELITE HELICOPTERS AT VNY.

PERSONNEL FROM ELITE HELICOPTER STATED WHEN THE HELICOPTER LANDED; IT CAME TO A REST TAIL LOW AND LEANING TO THE RIGHT. GILBERT ROUSSEAU AND SIMON DAVIS, FROM ELITE HELICOPTERS, PERFORMED A QUICK INSPECTION OF N54DE. DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER APPEARED TO BE FROM A HARD LANDING. THE SKIDS WERE BROKEN FROM THE MOUNTS, FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM AN AREA BY THE REAR SKID CROSS TUBE, AND THE ROTOR MAST HAD EVIDENCE OF MAST BUMPING.