20221008016779A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell Textron Canada 505 · Fort Myers, FL · October 8, 2022

Date: October 8, 2022 · 18:00 local
Place: Fort Myers, FL
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5DF
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA23LA011
Reported as: Bell Textron Canada 505
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 4
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot

N5DFRegistered now · Bell Textron Canada 505S/N 65340 · Built 2021 Airframe modelBell 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.

Aircraft was approaching a landing zone (lz) at fire station 75. About 150 feet above the ground, pilot noticed flags near the lz and elected to go around to make another approach to better align with the light wind. Power was added to initiate the go around and suddenly there was a “bump and dip” in the tail which was immediately followed by severe and massive vibration and shaking of the helicopter, with an uncommanded left yaw.

The helicopter then pitched up and rolled violently. The pilot was unable to regain control and the helicopter crashed near the lz, in a ditch.

The actions taken by the pilot contributed to the cause of the helicopter to spin out of control due to loss of tail rotor effectiveness (lte). As the aircraft was positioned as to have the tail pointed into the wind.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS APPROACHING A LANDING ZONE (LZ) AT FIRE STATION 75. ABOUT 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, PILOT NOTICED FLAGS NEAR THE LZ AND ELECTED TO GO AROUND TO MAKE ANOTHER APPROACH TO BETTER ALIGN WITH THE LIGHT WIND. POWER WAS ADDED TO INITIATE THE GO AROUND AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS A “BUMP AND DIP” IN THE TAIL WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY SEVERE AND MASSIVE VIBRATION AND SHAKING OF THE HELICOPTER, WITH AN UNCOMMANDED LEFT YAW.

THE HELICOPTER THEN PITCHED UP AND ROLLED VIOLENTLY. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL AND THE HELICOPTER CRASHED NEAR THE LZ, IN A DITCH.

THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE PILOT CONTRIBUTED TO THE CAUSE OF THE HELICOPTER TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL DUE TO LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS (LTE). AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS POSITIONED AS TO HAVE THE TAIL POINTED INTO THE WIND.

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 ERA23LA011Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportFort Myers, FLThe pilot’s execution of a landing approach with a right, quartering tailwind, low forward airspeed, and high power demand that, when combined, resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and helicopter control.Oct 8, 2022 · Substantial damage