20160418003949A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206-L4 · Arden Hills, MN · April 18, 2016

Date: April 18, 2016 · 12:24 local
Place: Arden Hills, MN
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N119SP
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN16LA156
Reported as: Bell 206-L4
Reported engine: Allison 250-C30 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,480 total800 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N119SPRegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407S/N 54742 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron Canada 407

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.

Rotorcraft approached and light hovered on top of 9' tall steel "conex" container for the purpose of picking up two firefighters during training. Pilot felt or heard a bang which he likened to sensation of tailstrike but realized tailstrike not possible.

Pilot attempted to climb off container and land. Initially the craft climbed but quickly lost lift. Pilot turned right to avoid an obstacle and hard landed. Main rotors broke as they contacted steel containers, tail boom flexed up and down breaking near root and bending downward uncoupling tailrotor shaft. Skids were splayed out do to landing force. Injured pilot treated at hospital and released.

As the FAA filed it

ROTORCRAFT APPROACHED AND LIGHT HOVERED ON TOP OF 9' TALL STEEL "CONEX" CONTAINER FOR THE PURPOSE OF PICKING UP TWO FIREFIGHTERS DURING TRAINING. PILOT FELT OR HEARD A BANG WHICH HE LIKENED TO SENSATION OF TAILSTRIKE BUT REALIZED TAILSTRIKE NOT POSSIBLE.

PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB OFF CONTAINER AND LAND. INITIALLY THE CRAFT CLIMBED BUT QUICKLY LOST LIFT. PILOT TURNED RIGHT TO AVOID AN OBSTACLE AND HARD LANDED. MAIN ROTORS BROKE AS THEY CONTACTED STEEL CONTAINERS, TAIL BOOM FLEXED UP AND DOWN BREAKING NEAR ROOT AND BENDING DOWNWARD UNCOUPLING TAILROTOR SHAFT. SKIDS WERE SPLAYED OUT DO TO LANDING FORCE. INJURED PILOT TREATED AT HOSPITAL AND RELEASED.

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 CEN16LA156Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportArden Hills, MNA partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidenceApr 18, 2016 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N119SP · 3

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20050506013229IOther Ground Ops · Aitkin, MN(-23) The PIC started the helicopter at 0300L on 5/6/2005. Prior to lift off an overspeed may have occurred possibly resulting in an number of component damages. The fuel control unit and the governor have been sent to Bell for repair/analysis. No pilot error…May 6, 2005 · Reported as Bell 206L4 · Minor damage Accident 19990409043959ACloquet, MN(-23) N119SP departed mic for coq after completion of an annual inspection and series of maintenance flights. The a/c ran out of fuel about five (5) miles south of the coq airport. Autorotation was initiated followed by an emergency landing. The a/c…Apr 9, 1999 · Reported as Bell 206L4 · No damage Incident 19900406018579IPwr Off Run Land (Autorotation · Cloguet, MNHit a power wire in flight. Landed safely off airport. Wires damaged swashplate and main rotorhead.Apr 6, 1990 · Reported as Bell 206B · Minor damage