20150219001229A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell UH-1H · Shelton, WA · February 19, 2015

Date
February 19, 2015 · 15:40 local
Place
Shelton, WA
Phase of flight
Hover/Holding
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
WYFL
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N166DR
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR15LA109
Reported as
Bell UH-1H
Reported engine
Lycoming T53-L-13
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
16,600 total700 in this make and model105 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.

Pilot reported during lifting a fertilizer bucket the engine made two loud bangs, followed by the low rotor warning horn. The pilot performed an autorotation to the ground from about 15-20 feet above the ground.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT REPORTED DURING LIFTING A FERTILIZER BUCKET THE ENGINE MADE TWO LOUD BANGS, FOLLOWED BY THE LOW ROTOR WARNING HORN. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION TO THE GROUND FROM ABOUT 15-20 FEET ABOVE 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.