What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 20, 2015, about 1900 eastern daylight time, Bell 206L-1, N165BH, was destroyed during collision with a ground vehicle and terrain following a flight control malfunction and subsequent loss of control near Thomaston, Georgia. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local aerial application flight, which was conducted under the provisions of TITLE14 code of federal regulations part 137.
In a telephone interview, the pilot said the accident occurred at a job site. The purpose of the flight was to establish spray patterns, flow rates, and have the spray equipment calibrated along with the GPS for the contracted job. He said he departed from the platform-equipped "mix" truck about 10 minutes prior to the accident, and returned to land on the truck to clean the windscreen of the helicopter.
The pilot said he performed a right pedal turn to land on the truck, and just prior to touchdown, a pin that connected a push-pull tube to the left anti-torque pedal broke. The pilot maneuvered the helicopter away from the truck in order to avoid striking his employees, and tried unsuccessfully to land back on the truck's platform, "but it couldn't be done." He then repositioned away from the truck, closed the throttle, and lowered the collective to land, but the rotor blades struck the side of the truck.
The helicopter was manufactured in 1979, and its most recent annual inspection was completed on September 7, 2015, at 7,977.2 total aircraft hours. The helicopter was equipped with a tail rotor pedal lockout kit, which was designed to disconnect and lockout the tail rotor pedals to prevent passenger interference when seated at the copilot's station. The kit was either in "lockout" mode to prevent use of the pedals, or "engaged" mode for pedal control.
The main transmission and the engine were torn from their mounts, and the aft fuselage was destroyed. The tail boom was separated just aft of its mount. The tail rotor pedal expandable pin assembly was disconnected from the tail rotor control link pin and left pedal attach point, while the pin on the right pedal remained engaged.
The link pin assembly of the lockout kit was retained for further examination.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2015, ABOUT 1900 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, BELL 206L-1, N165BH, WAS DESTROYED DURING COLLISION WITH A GROUND VEHICLE AND TERRAIN FOLLOWING A FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTION AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF CONTROL NEAR THOMASTON, GEORGIA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 137.
IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT SAID THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT A JOB SITE. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO ESTABLISH SPRAY PATTERNS, FLOW RATES, AND HAVE THE SPRAY EQUIPMENT CALIBRATED ALONG WITH THE GPS FOR THE CONTRACTED JOB. HE SAID HE DEPARTED FROM THE PLATFORM-EQUIPPED "MIX" TRUCK ABOUT 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, AND RETURNED TO LAND ON THE TRUCK TO CLEAN THE WINDSCREEN OF THE HELICOPTER.
THE PILOT SAID HE PERFORMED A RIGHT PEDAL TURN TO LAND ON THE TRUCK, AND JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, A PIN THAT CONNECTED A PUSH-PULL TUBE TO THE LEFT ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL BROKE. THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE HELICOPTER AWAY FROM THE TRUCK IN ORDER TO AVOID STRIKING HIS EMPLOYEES, AND TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO LAND BACK ON THE TRUCK'S PLATFORM, "BUT IT COULDN'T BE DONE." HE THEN REPOSITIONED AWAY FROM THE TRUCK, CLOSED THE THROTTLE, AND LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE TO LAND, BUT THE ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE SIDE OF THE TRUCK.
THE HELICOPTER WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1979, AND ITS MOST RECENT ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2015, AT 7,977.2 TOTAL AIRCRAFT HOURS. THE HELICOPTER WAS EQUIPPED WITH A TAIL ROTOR PEDAL LOCKOUT KIT, WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO DISCONNECT AND LOCKOUT THE TAIL ROTOR PEDALS TO PREVENT PASSENGER INTERFERENCE WHEN SEATED AT THE COPILOT'S STATION. THE KIT WAS EITHER IN "LOCKOUT" MODE TO PREVENT USE OF THE PEDALS, OR "ENGAGED" MODE FOR PEDAL CONTROL.
THE MAIN TRANSMISSION AND THE ENGINE WERE TORN FROM THEIR MOUNTS, AND THE AFT FUSELAGE WAS DESTROYED. THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEPARATED JUST AFT OF ITS MOUNT. THE TAIL ROTOR PEDAL EXPANDABLE PIN ASSEMBLY WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE TAIL ROTOR CONTROL LINK PIN AND LEFT PEDAL ATTACH POINT, WHILE THE PIN ON THE RIGHT PEDAL REMAINED ENGAGED.
THE LINK PIN ASSEMBLY OF THE LOCKOUT KIT WAS RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N165BH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.