20150818013809A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Cresco, IA · August 18, 2015

Date: August 18, 2015 · 13:30 local
Place: Cresco, IA
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: 13HG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5743W
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN15LA370
Reported as: Bell 206B
Reported engine: Allison 250 SER 250HP
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,100 total1,500 in this make and model250 in the last 90 days

N5743WRegistered now · Bell 206BS/N 3050 · Built 1980 Airframe modelBell 206B Engine modelAllison 250 SER 250HPTurbo-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.

At about 1:30 on Tuesday August 18, 2015, the pilot took off with 25 gallons of fuel and 80 gallons of chemical to spray a bean field 7 miles east of Cresco, IA. About 5 minutes into the spray run at about 5 feet above the field the engine failed. The pilot stated that he noticed the main rotor RPM bleeding off and executed an auto rotation to a water way on the side of a hill. Upon touch down on the unlevel terrain, the main rotor contacted the tailboom and it separated from the aircraft. Once the blades stopped spinning, the pilot shut the fuel valve off and exited the helicopter. The helicopter was sitting up right.

As the FAA filed it

AT ABOUT 1:30 ON TUESDAY AUGUST 18, 2015, THE PILOT TOOK OFF WITH 25 GALLONS OF FUEL AND 80 GALLONS OF CHEMICAL TO SPRAY A BEAN FIELD 7 MILES EAST OF CRESCO, IA. ABOUT 5 MINUTES INTO THE SPRAY RUN AT ABOUT 5 FEET ABOVE THE FIELD THE ENGINE FAILED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE NOTICED THE MAIN ROTOR RPM BLEEDING OFF AND EXECUTED AN AUTO ROTATION TO A WATER WAY ON THE SIDE OF A HILL. UPON TOUCH DOWN ON THE UNLEVEL TERRAIN, THE MAIN ROTOR CONTACTED THE TAILBOOM AND IT SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. ONCE THE BLADES STOPPED SPINNING, THE PILOT SHUT THE FUEL VALVE OFF AND EXITED THE HELICOPTER. THE HELICOPTER WAS SITTING UP RIGHT.

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 CEN15LA370Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCresco, IAThe loss of engine power due to the high-cycle fatigue failure of the third-stage turbine wheel.Aug 18, 2015 · Substantial damage