What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 29, 2015, approximately 11:34 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Bell 206B, single-engine helicopter, N206ED, sustained substantial damage when it impact trees while maneuvering near caledonia, Michigan. The commercial pilot and observer were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 commercial flight. The flight departed jackson county- reynolds airport (jxn) Michigan, approximately 0930, en route for power line inspection
According to the pilot he was flying at the tops of the 48KV power lines heading north north west when he slowed and started a climbing turn to the right in order to inspect a structure. During this maneuver he was hit by a gust of wind that caused the nose to rise and introduced a right turning moment. The pilot tried to compensate but ran out of tail rotor authority. He reduced power to decrease the torque but could not get the airspeed back resulting in loss of tail rotor effectiveness (lte). The helicopter settled into the trees in a stable upright spin. The helicopter came to rest on its left side approximately 50FT up in the trees. The pilot and passenger climbed out the door and held on to the tree until they were rescued by a boom truck. The accident site was located approximately 2 miles south of the Grand Rapids, gerald r. ford airport (kgrr). The helicopter tail section was bent 90 degrees to the left and the rotors had damage from the tree strikes.
At 11:53 EDT, the Grand Rapids, gerald r. ford airport automated surface observing system (ASOS), located approximately 2 miles north of the accident site, reported the wind from 180 degrees at 14 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, sky broken at 23,000 feet, temperature 26 degrees celsius and dew point 19 degrees celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.08 inches of mercury.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 29, 2015, APPROXIMATELY 11:34 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), A BELL 206B, SINGLE-ENGINE HELICOPTER, N206ED, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACT TREES WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR CALEDONIA, MICHIGAN. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND OBSERVER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 COMMERCIAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED JACKSON COUNTY- REYNOLDS AIRPORT (JXN) MICHIGAN, APPROXIMATELY 0930, EN ROUTE FOR POWER LINE INSPECTION
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE WAS FLYING AT THE TOPS OF THE 48KV POWER LINES HEADING NORTH NORTH WEST WHEN HE SLOWED AND STARTED A CLIMBING TURN TO THE RIGHT IN ORDER TO INSPECT A STRUCTURE. DURING THIS MANEUVER HE WAS HIT BY A GUST OF WIND THAT CAUSED THE NOSE TO RISE AND INTRODUCED A RIGHT TURNING MOMENT. THE PILOT TRIED TO COMPENSATE BUT RAN OUT OF TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY. HE REDUCED POWER TO DECREASE THE TORQUE BUT COULD NOT GET THE AIRSPEED BACK RESULTING IN LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS (LTE). THE HELICOPTER SETTLED INTO THE TREES IN A STABLE UPRIGHT SPIN. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE APPROXIMATELY 50FT UP IN THE TREES. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER CLIMBED OUT THE DOOR AND HELD ON TO THE TREE UNTIL THEY WERE RESCUED BY A BOOM TRUCK. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES SOUTH OF THE GRAND RAPIDS, GERALD R. FORD AIRPORT (KGRR). THE HELICOPTER TAIL SECTION WAS BENT 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AND THE ROTORS HAD DAMAGE FROM THE TREE STRIKES.
AT 11:53 EDT, THE GRAND RAPIDS, GERALD R. FORD AIRPORT AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM (ASOS), LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED THE WIND FROM 180 DEGREES AT 14 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, SKY BROKEN AT 23,000 FEET, TEMPERATURE 26 DEGREES CELSIUS AND DEW POINT 19 DEGREES CELSIUS, AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.08 INCHES OF MERCURY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.