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20150507006299A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Garlik GARLIK-UH1B · Orient, WA · May 7, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 7, 2015 · 16:47 local
Place
Orient, WA
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
H50L
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N46969
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR15LA159
Reported as
Garlik GARLIK-UH1B
Reported engine
Lycoming T53L13B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
N46969Registered now · Bell UH-1BS/N 63-8548Airframe modelBell UH-1B

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.

The pilot started logging at 1300 local and had flown one fuel cycle (1HR 20 mins of fuel plus an additional 300 lbs. Of fuel). The pilot was 45 minutes into the second fuel cycle and was flying back up the mountain when she heard a mechanical grinding sound, a bang, and the low rotor RPM horn.

The pilot immediately went into autorotation and had ?perfect control? Of the helicopter. The long line was released prior to going into the trees where the helicopter landed hard with the nose pointing uphill.

After landing, the helicopter rolled downhill several times before impacting a tree. The helicopter came to rest on its left side, with the right underside of the fuselage leaning against the tree.

The pilot exited through the broken bubble window with minor injuries. No fire was noticed in the immediate vicinity.

Witnesses described hearing a squealing noise, a loud pop, and flames coming out the exhaust.

The engine was replaced earlier in the day and the run-up check was good. Mechanics told the pilot to keep an eye on the gauges due to the engine change.

There was no warning of impending engine failure ? All lights and gauges were normal.

A post-accident engine teardown was performed where cloth debris was found lodged in the engine inlet.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STARTED LOGGING AT 1300 LOCAL AND HAD FLOWN ONE FUEL CYCLE (1HR 20 MINS OF FUEL PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 300 LBS. OF FUEL). THE PILOT WAS 45 MINUTES INTO THE SECOND FUEL CYCLE AND WAS FLYING BACK UP THE MOUNTAIN WHEN SHE HEARD A MECHANICAL GRINDING SOUND, A BANG, AND THE LOW ROTOR RPM HORN.

THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO AUTOROTATION AND HAD ?PERFECT CONTROL? OF THE HELICOPTER. THE LONG LINE WAS RELEASED PRIOR TO GOING INTO THE TREES WHERE THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD WITH THE NOSE POINTING UPHILL.

AFTER LANDING, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED DOWNHILL SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IMPACTING A TREE. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE, WITH THE RIGHT UNDERSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE LEANING AGAINST THE TREE.

THE PILOT EXITED THROUGH THE BROKEN BUBBLE WINDOW WITH MINOR INJURIES. NO FIRE WAS NOTICED IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY.

WITNESSES DESCRIBED HEARING A SQUEALING NOISE, A LOUD POP, AND FLAMES COMING OUT THE EXHAUST.

THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED EARLIER IN THE DAY AND THE RUN-UP CHECK WAS GOOD. MECHANICS TOLD THE PILOT TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE GAUGES DUE TO THE ENGINE CHANGE.

THERE WAS NO WARNING OF IMPENDING ENGINE FAILURE ? ALL LIGHTS AND GAUGES WERE NORMAL.

A POST-ACCIDENT ENGINE TEARDOWN WAS PERFORMED WHERE CLOTH DEBRIS WAS FOUND LODGED IN THE ENGINE INLET.

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 WPR15LA159Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportKettle Falls, WAA total loss of engine power due to foreign object (towel) ingestion. Contributing to the accident was maintenance personnel’s inadequate postmaintenance inspection of the engine.May 8, 2015 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N46969 · 1

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

Accident 20071205828469AForced/Precautionary Landing · Ennis, MT(-23) On December 5, 2007, at 1600 mountain time, a garlick UH-1B, N46969, registered to r & r conner aviation LLC, made a hard landing at the helicopter logging service landing area in madison county, Montana, 33 nautical miles sw of Ennis, Montana, while…Dec 5, 2007 · Substantial damage