20200916016739I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell OH-58A · Sells, AZ · September 16, 2020

Date: September 16, 2020 · 12:00 local
Place: Sells, AZ
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N376SD
Reported as: Bell OH-58A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N376SDRegistration cancelled Mar 2, 2021 · Bell OH-58AS/N 73-21869 Airframe modelBell OH-58A

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.

Aircraft was conducting surveillance mission for border patrol and had descended from 1500 feet to approximately 300 feet when the engine out horn sounded. A visual check of the gauges showed the engine out light illuminated. Pilots noted no strange sounds or yaw tendencies. PIC noted the needle split on the engine gauge. The crew oriented the aircraft on to a jeep trail, executed an autorotation, and experienced a hard landing.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE MISSION FOR BORDER PATROL AND HAD DESCENDED FROM 1500 FEET TO APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE OUT HORN SOUNDED. A VISUAL CHECK OF THE GAUGES SHOWED THE ENGINE OUT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. PILOTS NOTED NO STRANGE SOUNDS OR YAW TENDENCIES. PIC NOTED THE NEEDLE SPLIT ON THE ENGINE GAUGE. THE CREW ORIENTED THE AIRCRAFT ON TO A JEEP TRAIL, EXECUTED AN AUTOROTATION, AND EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING.