20150912015529A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Guisinger Gary G BABY BELLE · Stuart, IA · September 12, 2015

Date: September 12, 2015 · 11:30 local
Place: Stuart, IA
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N135PA
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN15LA412
Reported as: Guisinger Gary G Baby Belle
Reported engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 320 total240 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

N135PARegistration cancelled Mar 9, 2018 · Guisinger Gary G BABY BELLES/N 0412N · Built 2001 Airframe modelGuisinger Gary G BABY BELLE Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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 and one passenger were flying from guthrie center, IA to Stuart, IA. Four miles north of Stuart, the pilot started a slow descent from 800' to a planned pattern altitude of 200'. Around 400', the helicopter yawed to the left and then made a hard abrupt turn to the right and started to spin right. Pilot correction was made which stopped the spin and caused the helicopter to snap to the left. A second spin to the right began and the pilot was able to initially slow, but not stop, the spin. The right-hand spin continued to increase in rate of rotation until it hit the ground. The engine continued to run after impact until the pilot shut it down.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE FLYING FROM GUTHRIE CENTER, IA TO STUART, IA. FOUR MILES NORTH OF STUART, THE PILOT STARTED A SLOW DESCENT FROM 800' TO A PLANNED PATTERN ALTITUDE OF 200'. AROUND 400', THE HELICOPTER YAWED TO THE LEFT AND THEN MADE A HARD ABRUPT TURN TO THE RIGHT AND STARTED TO SPIN RIGHT. PILOT CORRECTION WAS MADE WHICH STOPPED THE SPIN AND CAUSED THE HELICOPTER TO SNAP TO THE LEFT. A SECOND SPIN TO THE RIGHT BEGAN AND THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO INITIALLY SLOW, BUT NOT STOP, THE SPIN. THE RIGHT-HAND SPIN CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN RATE OF ROTATION UNTIL IT HIT THE GROUND. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN AFTER IMPACT UNTIL THE PILOT SHUT IT DOWN.

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 CEN15LA412Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportStuart, IAThe failure of the tail rotor driveshaft for reasons that could not be determined due to the mechanically and thermally deformed fracture surface.Sep 12, 2015 · Substantial damage