20221008016559A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 505 · Moab, UT · October 8, 2022

Date: October 8, 2022 · 12:35 local
Place: Moab, UT
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N874BB
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR23LA009
Reported as: Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 505
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,326 total120 in this make and model19 in the last 90 days

N874BBRegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 505S/N 65233 · Built 2019 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron Canada 505 Engine modelSafran ARRIUS-2RTurbo-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.

On October 8, 2022, the pilot and one passenger went on a recreational flight. Their intent was to land in a remote place where four other helicopters had landed the day before. The pilot believed he was landing on a relatively level surface. After the skids had initially touched the ground, the pilot began lowering the collective when nose of the aircraft abruptly pitching up and the tail down. In the attempt to correct the situation, the pilot moved the cyclic forward and abruptly raised the collective. However, the pilot did not take out the forwarded displacement of the cyclic at a rate commensurate with the rate the collective was raised. The helicopter pitched forward and rolled onto its right side.

There was a relatively large rock in close proximity of the left skid which may have contributed to the sequence of events. The pilot is not sure, but thought he had missed the rock.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 8, 2022, THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WENT ON A RECREATIONAL FLIGHT. THEIR INTENT WAS TO LAND IN A REMOTE PLACE WHERE FOUR OTHER HELICOPTERS HAD LANDED THE DAY BEFORE. THE PILOT BELIEVED HE WAS LANDING ON A RELATIVELY LEVEL SURFACE. AFTER THE SKIDS HAD INITIALLY TOUCHED THE GROUND, THE PILOT BEGAN LOWERING THE COLLECTIVE WHEN NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY PITCHING UP AND THE TAIL DOWN. IN THE ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE SITUATION, THE PILOT MOVED THE CYCLIC FORWARD AND ABRUPTLY RAISED THE COLLECTIVE. HOWEVER, THE PILOT DID NOT TAKE OUT THE FORWARDED DISPLACEMENT OF THE CYCLIC AT A RATE COMMENSURATE WITH THE RATE THE COLLECTIVE WAS RAISED. THE HELICOPTER PITCHED FORWARD AND ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE.

THERE WAS A RELATIVELY LARGE ROCK IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE LEFT SKID WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. THE PILOT IS NOT SURE, BUT THOUGHT HE HAD MISSED THE ROCK.

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 WPR23LA009Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportMoab, UTThe pilot’s loss of helicopter control during landing, that resulted in a dynamic roll over.Oct 8, 2022 · Substantial damage