20230730012439A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell OH-58A · Blanchard, ID · July 30, 2023

Date: July 30, 2023 · 12:30 local
Place: Blanchard, ID
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N613SS
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR23LA297
Reported as: Bell OH-58A
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,470 total208 in this make and model

N613SSRegistered now · Bell OH-58AS/N 71-20613 Airframe modelBell OH-58A

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.

While at cruise altitude of 1200' AGL, caution light for low rotor speed came on. Pilot immediately entered autorotation to field. The pilot tried to extend glide to clear dike and landed on skids with forward momentum and slid for 100'. While coming to a stop, both skids were torn off and tail boom was cutoff. Helicopter rolled over and main rotor head and shaft departed aircraft. No injuries to 4 onboard.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE AT CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 1200' AGL, CAUTION LIGHT FOR LOW ROTOR SPEED CAME ON. PILOT IMMEDIATELY ENTERED AUTOROTATION TO FIELD. THE PILOT TRIED TO EXTEND GLIDE TO CLEAR DIKE AND LANDED ON SKIDS WITH FORWARD MOMENTUM AND SLID FOR 100'. WHILE COMING TO A STOP, BOTH SKIDS WERE TORN OFF AND TAIL BOOM WAS CUTOFF. HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER AND MAIN ROTOR HEAD AND SHAFT DEPARTED AIRCRAFT. NO INJURIES TO 4 ONBOARD.

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 WPR23LA297Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportBlanchard, IDFuel contamination, which resulted in a loss of engine power. The source of the contamination could not be determined.Jul 30, 2023 · Substantial damage