# Incident 20230609005009I: Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1, Saraland, AL, June 9, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 9, 2023, 15:25 local time
- Place: Saraland, AL
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: EVCA
- Location: 30.8207° N, 88.0706° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Saraland, AL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.8207&lon=-88.0706&mi=10
- Aircraft: N192AE, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N192AE) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 (registry code 1182107, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-textron-206l-1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON 206L-1
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,995 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230609005009I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 CDT ON JUNE 9, 2023, DURING A HELICOPTER AIR AMBULANCE PATIENT TRANSFER FROM CHOCTAW, AL TO^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN MOBILE, AL, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER.  PRIOR TO THE EVENT WHILE EN ROUTE TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HOSPITAL, THE PIC RECEIVED HIS TRANSPONDER SQUAWK CODE FROM MOBILE APPROACH AT 23 NAUTICAL MILES (NM) OUT.  AT 18NM FROM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HOSPITAL THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT APPROACH TO ENSURE THEY HAD MADE RADAR CONTACT, AT THIS TIME THE PIC REALIZED THERE WAS NO RADIO TONE.  THE PIC THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE MEDICAL CREW THROUGH THE INTERPHONE SYSTEM, BUT IT WAS ALSO INOPERATIVE.  THE AIRCRAFT SQUAWK CODE WAS THEN CHANGED TO 7600 TO SIGNIFY A LOSS OF COMMUNICATIONS.  THE PIC MADE AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO TROUBLESHOOT BEFORE NOTICING THE LOSS OF NAVIGATION, FOLLOWED BY FLICKERING OF THE PRIMARY FLIGHT DISPLAY, MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAYS AND A VOLTMETER INDICATION OF 8.6 VOLTS.  THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO SQUAWK 7700 TO INDICATE AN EMERGENCY ON-BOARD BUT WAS UNABLE DUE TO THE COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER.  ONE UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO RESET THE GENERATOR SWITCH WAS MADE BEFORE THE PIC LOCATED A LARGE FIELD TO SUITABLE FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING.  ALL NON-ESSENTIAL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT WAS SWITCHED OFF AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY.  NO FURTHER DAMAGE OR INJURIES RESULTED FROM THIS INCIDENT.

MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REPLACED A FAULTY GENERATOR CONTROL UNIT (GCU) AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROVED FOR RETURN TO SERVICE ON JUNE 11, 2023.  A SERVICE DIFFICULTY REPORT WAS SUBMITTED FOR THE FAILED GCU ON JUNE 13, 2023.

THE PIC STATED IN AN INTERVIEW THAT THE GEN FAIL (GENERATOR FAIL) ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATED IN PREFLIGHT TESTING BUT DID NOT DO SO IN FLIGHT AS A RESULT OF THE FAULTY GCU.  WITH NO GEN FAIL INDICATION, THE PIC WAS UNAWARE THAT THE GCU HAD FAILED, THUS THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING ON BATTERY POWER FOR AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME.  POST FLIGHT CHECKS OF THE BATTERY DID NOT INDICATE ANY DEFECTS.  THE CAUSE FOR THE GEN FAIL ANNUNCIATOR FAILING TO ILLUMINATE IS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN.  AT THIS TIME IT IS UNSURE WHY THE BATTERY DID NOT PROVIDE THE BACKUP POWER. THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED IF FURTHER DETERMINATION IS MADE.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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