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20230721008829A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Terra Alta, WV · July 21, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 21, 2023 · 11:40 local
Place
Terra Alta, WV
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
ZIFA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N9913K
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA23LA307
Reported as
Bell 206B
Reported engine
Allison 250 SER 400HP
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,389 total178 in this make and model123 in the last 90 days
N9913KRegistered now · Bell 206BS/N 2055 · Built 1976Airframe modelBell 206BEngine modelAllison 250 SER 400HPTurbo-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.

Transcribed from the pilots original written statement

Started recording lidar on designated powerline. Heading southeast up into mountainous area. As we crossed the top and came over I verified with the operator that the pictures were still looking good. He confirmed things were good and pictures of lines in frame.I recognized being hit by a windgust that was not forecasted from behind us soon after. Looking down and seeing altitude drop and airspeed decrease below 30KT I made a minute correction to increase airspeed. I looked down again and even more altitude was lost and airspeed dropped to around 22 KTS.it felt like we were slowly being pushed downward by the gust. This made me believe we were in settling with power.

By then we were too low in altitude to perform a recovery procedure so an emegency landing was made to avoid striking power line wires as best as possible. As we came close to the line I hugged the treeline to clear the wires. The main rotor hit a tree but I still feel like I had descent control of the aircraft. As we approached the ground I leveled the aircraft as best I could and raised the collective to cushion the landing as best as possible. We hit front skid forward and then leveled out, then immediately rolled over to the right

As the FAA filed it

TRANSCRIBED FROM THE PILOTS ORIGINAL WRITTEN STATEMENT

STARTED RECORDING LIDAR ON DESIGNATED POWERLINE. HEADING SOUTHEAST UP INTO MOUNTAINOUS AREA.AS WE CROSSED THE TOP AND CAME OVER I VERIFIED WITH THE OPERATOR THAT THE PICTURES WERE STILL LOOKING GOOD. HE CONFIRMED THINGS WERE GOOD AND PICTURES OF LINES IN FRAME.I RECOGNIZED BEING HIT BY A WINDGUST THAT WAS NOT FORECASTED FROM BEHIND US SOON AFTER.LOOKING DOWN AND SEEING ALTITUDE DROP AND AIRSPEED DECREASE BELOW 30KT I MADE A MINUTE CORRECTION TO INCREASE AIRSPEED. I LOOKED DOWN AGAIN AND EVEN MORE ALTITUDE WAS LOST AND AIRSPEED DROPPED TO AROUND 22 KTS.IT FELT LIKE WE WERE SLOWLY BEING PUSHED DOWNWARD BY THE GUST. THIS MADE ME BELIEVE WE WERE IN SETTLING WITH POWER.

BY THEN WE WERE TOO LOW IN ALTITUDE TO PERFORM A RECOVERY PROCEDURE SO AN EMEGENCY LANDING WAS MADE TO AVOID STRIKING POWER LINE WIRES AS BEST AS POSSIBLE. AS WE CAME CLOSE TO THE LINE I HUGGED THE TREELINE TO CLEAR THE WIRES. THE MAIN ROTOR HIT A TREE BUT I STILL FEEL LIKE I HAD DESCENT CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. AS WE APPROACHED THE GROUND I LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT AS BEST I COULD AND RAISED THE COLLECTIVE TO CUSHION THE LANDING AS BEST AS POSSIBLE. WE HIT FRONT SKID FORWARD AND THEN LEVELED OUT, THEN IMMEDIATELY ROLLED OVER 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 ERA23LA307Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportTerra Alta, WVThe pilot’s inability to maneuver the helicopter for recovery after experiencing a strong, unanticipated tailwind in a confined operating area, which resulted in a descent and subsequent impact with terrain.Jul 21, 2023 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9913K · 1

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

Accident 19960813022649AUnauth Low Level Opns · Starks, MEPower line patrol. Flew slow downwind to observe spot. Got too slow. Lost tail rotor effect. Yawed. Tail hit trees.Aug 13, 1996 · Substantial damage