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20220907013509A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell BHT-205A-1 · Cougar, WA · September 7, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 7, 2022 · 16:15 local
Place
Cougar, WA
Phase of flight
Hover/Holding
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
HEAL
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N66HJ
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR22LA339
Reported as
Bell BHT-205A-1
Reported engine
Honeywell T53-17B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
N66HJRegistered now · Bell 205A-1S/N 30239 · Built 1976Airframe modelBell 205A-1Engine modelLycoming T-53 seriesReciprocating

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.

As stated by the pilot, aircraft was in a hover approximately 100 feet above the water with water bucket attacked to external long line sitting on the water. While engaged in tipping the bucket over procedure. There was a loss of lift and controlability of the helicopter. The aircraft lurched downward and yawed to the left. Engine indication had showed that it had lost power. The aircraft continued to fall, raised collective at about 50 feet momentarily. Then had the master caution lights and low rotor RPM horn sound. Pilot then added forward cyclic to get closer to the shoreline as the aircraft was approaching the water rapidly the pilot started pumping the collective and pulled the collective as high as possible just prior to hitting the water hard and at a fair flat attitude. The engine was out at this time and blades quit turning after impact with the water and tailboom. Aircraft settled downward and slowly rolled onto its right side. The pilot exited as the cabin was rapidly filling with water and swam to the shoreline approximatly 15 feet.

As the FAA filed it

AS STATED BY THE PILOT, AIRCRAFT WAS IN A HOVER APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE THE WATER WITH WATER BUCKET ATTACKED TO EXTERNAL LONG LINE SITTING ON THE WATER. WHILE ENGAGED IN TIPPING THE BUCKET OVER PROCEDURE. THERE WAS A LOSS OF LIFT AND CONTROLABILITY OF THE HELICOPTER. THE AIRCRAFT LURCHED DOWNWARD AND YAWED TO THE LEFT. ENGINE INDICATION HAD SHOWED THAT IT HAD LOST POWER. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO FALL, RAISED COLLECTIVE AT ABOUT 50 FEET MOMENTARILY. THEN HAD THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHTS AND LOW ROTOR RPM HORN SOUND. PILOT THEN ADDED FORWARD CYCLIC TO GET CLOSER TO THE SHORELINE AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROACHING THE WATER RAPIDLY THE PILOT STARTED PUMPING THE COLLECTIVE AND PULLED THE COLLECTIVE AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE JUST PRIOR TO HITTING THE WATER HARD AND AT A FAIR FLAT ATTITUDE. THE ENGINE WAS OUT AT THIS TIME AND BLADES QUIT TURNING AFTER IMPACT WITH THE WATER AND TAILBOOM. AIRCRAFT SETTLED DOWNWARD AND SLOWLY ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT EXITED AS THE CABIN WAS RAPIDLY FILLING WITH WATER AND SWAM TO THE SHORELINE APPROXIMATLY 15 FEET.

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 WPR22LA339Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportCougar, WAThe helicopter’s encounter with downdrafts during a low-altitude hovering maneuver while dipping for water.Sep 7, 2022 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N66HJ · 1

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

Accident 19920803057069AFinal Approach · Arco, IDPublic use aircraft for us forest service.Aug 3, 1992 · Substantial damage