20210707016999A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 212 · July 7, 2021

Date: July 7, 2021 · 16:50 local
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: CUCL
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N911KW
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR21LA268
Reported as: Bell 212
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,570 total240 in this make and model11 in the last 90 days

N911KWRegistered now · Bell 212S/N 30592 · Built 1973 Airframe modelBell 212 Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

A phone interview with pilotprivacy data omitted July 17, 2021 by inspector privacy data omitted assistant to the iic revealed that privacy data omitted felt a lateral vibration in the aircraft while in close proximimity to the lake while loading water for firefighting operations. privacy data omitted Said that he lost orientation to the water while trying to determine the cause of the vibration causing him to lose orientation to the water. privacy data omitted Mentioned that he noticed that his skids were in the water but it was to late to recover. By that time the aircraft settled into the lake. The pilot mentioned that he tried to put in a little forward cyclic in an attempt to possibly fly away but realized he would not be able to. The aircraft settled into the water and rolled to the right.

As the FAA filed it

A PHONE INTERVIEW WITH PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ JULY 17, 2021 BY INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ASSISTANT TO THE IIC REVEALED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FELT A LATERAL VIBRATION IN THE AIRCRAFT WHILE IN CLOSE PROXIMIMITY TO THE LAKE WHILE LOADING WATER FOR FIREFIGHTING OPERATIONS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID THAT HE LOST ORIENTATION TO THE WATER WHILE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE VIBRATION CAUSING HIM TO LOSE ORIENTATION TO THE WATER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MENTIONED THAT HE NOTICED THAT HIS SKIDS WERE IN THE WATER BUT IT WAS TO LATE TO RECOVER. BY THAT TIME THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED INTO THE LAKE. THE PILOT MENTIONED THAT HE TRIED TO PUT IN A LITTLE FORWARD CYCLIC IN AN ATTEMPT TO POSSIBLY FLY AWAY BUT REALIZED HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED INTO THE WATER AND ROLLED TO THE RIGHT.

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 WPR21LA268Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportWeed, CAThe pilot’s failure to maintain altitude during an approach to a lake. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to release the full water bucket as the helicopter was settling, which reduced the helicopter’s out-of-ground-effect performance.Jul 7, 2021 · Substantial damage