# Accident 20160614025179A: Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1, Bishop, CA, June 14, 2016

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 14, 2016, 15:50 local time
- Place: Bishop, CA
- Airport: Bishop Airport, Ca
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.3278° N, 118.3972° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3278&lon=-118.3972&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1076Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1076Y-2019-07-24) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 (registry code 1182107, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-textron-206l-1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250 SER 250HP (registry code 03002, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-ser-250hp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON 206L-1
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250 SER 650HP
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,860 total, 190 in this make and model, 75 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR16LA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16LA125) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160614025179A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON JUNE 14, 2016, ABOUT 1550 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206 L1 HELICOPTER, N1076Y, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING ATTEMPT NEAR BISHOP, CALIFORNIA, FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE COMPANY UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED CORONA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (AJO), CORONA, CALIFORNIA, AT APPROXIMATELY 1320. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS DESTINED FOR MAMMOTH YOSEMITE AIRPORT (MMH), MAMMOTH, CALIFORNIA.

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE FLIGHT DEPARTED AJO WITH 98 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. AFTER MORE THAN 2 HOURS OF FLIGHT IN HEADWINDS THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND AT A LOCAL AIRPORT TO REFUEL. WHILE THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED THROUGH 9,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL, THE PILOT HEARD AN EXPLOSION IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND IMMEDIATELY FELT THE HELICOPTER VIBRATE. HE THEN OBSERVED AN ENGINE OUT INDICATION AND QUICKLY INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION. DURING THE HELICOPTER'S DESCENT TO LAND, THE PILOT MADE TWO ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. HE PULLED THE COLLECTIVE EARLY TO AVOID LANDING IN A DITCH, BUT THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND HARD, WHICH RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR16LA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16LA125), Jun 14, 2016: Bell 206 (N1076Y), Bishop, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper preflight weather planning, fuel planning, and fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of engine power. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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