20160730025009A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 · Modesto, CA · July 30, 2016

Date: July 30, 2016 · 04:40 local
Place: Modesto, CA
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: S47M
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N206LW
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA16CA408
Reported as: Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1
Reported engine: Allison 250 SER 400HP
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,200 total5,000 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N206LWRegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45182 · Built 1978 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 Engine modelAllison 250 SER 400HPTurbo-shaft

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.

At 4:40 am while returning from a hiker rescue mission with the stainislaus county sherrif's department in a Bell 206, the pilot was asked to return to the area and look for another missing person who called on their cell phone and the battery was running low.

The pilot did the rescue and returned to the Modesto airport (kmod). Turning final to the landing area ( hangar) the pilot noticed that the low fuel light illuminated, which means that only 10 minutes of fuel remained. The engine flamed out when a turn was initiated and the pilot autorotated to the touchdodwn in front of the hangar. The helicopter sustained substantial damage as the main rotor contacted the tail and the tail was damaged. No injury to either occupant. Night VMC conditions existed.

This was a public aircraft operations conducted under 14CFR part 91.

As the FAA filed it

AT 4:40 AM WHILE RETURNING FROM A HIKER RESCUE MISSION WITH THE STAINISLAUS COUNTY SHERRIF'S DEPARTMENT IN A BELL 206, THE PILOT WAS ASKED TO RETURN TO THE AREA AND LOOK FOR ANOTHER MISSING PERSON WHO CALLED ON THEIR CELL PHONE AND THE BATTERY WAS RUNNING LOW.

THE PILOT DID THE RESCUE AND RETURNED TO THE MODESTO AIRPORT (KMOD). TURNING FINAL TO THE LANDING AREA ( HANGAR) THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE LOW FUEL LIGHT ILLUMINATED, WHICH MEANS THAT ONLY 10 MINUTES OF FUEL REMAINED. THE ENGINE FLAMED OUT WHEN A TURN WAS INITIATED AND THE PILOT AUTOROTATED TO THE TOUCHDODWN IN FRONT OF THE HANGAR. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS THE MAIN ROTOR CONTACTED THE TAIL AND THE TAIL WAS DAMAGED. NO INJURY TO EITHER OCCUPANT. NIGHT VMC CONDITIONS EXISTED.

THIS WAS A PUBLIC AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS CONDUCTED UNDER 14CFR PART 91.

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 GAA16CA408Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportModesto, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during an autorotation, which resulted in abnormal ground contact and main rotor contact with the tail boom. Contributing to the accident was the low fuel level which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of…Jul 30, 2016 · Substantial damage