What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Description of accident:
On 04/16/16, a Bell 206B(N326AC), operating under part 91,was performing power line observations for Baltimore gas & electric.
The pilot stated that he initiated a hover from a descent, overtorqued the aircraft, experienced the onset of lte(loss of tail rotor effectiveness) and entered an uncontrollable descending right spin to the ground.
The aircraft impacted the ground and the occupants evacuated the aircraft, followed by a battery explosion and fire engulfing the aircraft resulting in a total loss of the aircraft.
Causal factors:
Pilot over torqued the aircraft requiring more rudder authority than he had available resulting in loss of tail rotor effectiveness (lte).
Recommendation:
44709 Check ride to establish pilot competency specifically when hovering out of ground effect.
Comments:
Video/audio evidence depicts aircraft entering an uncontrollable right spin (indicative of lte).
Video/audio evidence depicts both main and tail rotor actively spinning and aircraft engine engaged and operating.
Video/audio evidence depicts aircraft uncontrollably spinning to impact with the ground.
Subsequent video/audio evidence depicts aircraft and forest ablaze.
Pilot had 30 hrs in make and model.
Pilot was just recently cleared to fly power line observation the morning of the accident.
privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT:
ON 04/16/16, A BELL 206B(N326AC), OPERATING UNDER PART 91,WAS PERFORMING POWER LINE OBSERVATIONS FOR BALTIMORE GAS & ELECTRIC.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE INITIATED A HOVER FROM A DESCENT, OVERTORQUED THE AIRCRAFT, EXPERIENCED THE ONSET OF LTE(LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS) AND ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLABLE DESCENDING RIGHT SPIN TO THE GROUND.
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AND THE OCCUPANTS EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT, FOLLOWED BY A BATTERY EXPLOSION AND FIRE ENGULFING THE AIRCRAFT RESULTING IN A TOTAL LOSS OF THE AIRCRAFT.
CAUSAL FACTORS:
PILOT OVER TORQUED THE AIRCRAFT REQUIRING MORE RUDDER AUTHORITY THAN HE HAD AVAILABLE RESULTING IN LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS (LTE).
RECOMMENDATION:
44709 CHECK RIDE TO ESTABLISH PILOT COMPETENCY SPECIFICALLY WHEN HOVERING OUT OF GROUND EFFECT.
COMMENTS:
VIDEO/AUDIO EVIDENCE DEPICTS AIRCRAFT ENTERING AN UNCONTROLLABLE RIGHT SPIN (INDICATIVE OF LTE).
VIDEO/AUDIO EVIDENCE DEPICTS BOTH MAIN AND TAIL ROTOR ACTIVELY SPINNING AND AIRCRAFT ENGINE ENGAGED AND OPERATING.
VIDEO/AUDIO EVIDENCE DEPICTS AIRCRAFT UNCONTROLLABLY SPINNING TO IMPACT WITH THE GROUND.
SUBSEQUENT VIDEO/AUDIO EVIDENCE DEPICTS AIRCRAFT AND FOREST ABLAZE.
PILOT HAD 30 HRS IN MAKE AND MODEL.
PILOT WAS JUST RECENTLY CLEARED TO FLY POWER LINE OBSERVATION THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.