# Accident 20230827012319A: Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4, Hibbing, MN, August 27, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 27, 2023, 12:15 local time
- Place: Hibbing, MN
- Airport: Chisholm-Hibbing
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: BRNA
- Location: 47.4262° N, 92.8268° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.4262&lon=-92.8268&mi=10
- Aircraft: N19BH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N19BH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4 (registry code 1181455, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-textron-canada-206l-4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C30P (registry code 54013, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c30p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA 206L-4
- Reported engine: ROLLS-ROYC 250-C30P
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,107 total, 1,948 in this make and model, 154 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN23LA385](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA385) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230827012319A

## Narrative

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

THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADES AND THE TAIL ROTOR HUB WHEN IT WAS OPERATING AT A REMOTE, UNIMPROVED LANDING ZONE (LZ). THE PIC MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT LANDING AND DID NOT LIKE THE SLOPE, SO MOVED THE HELICOPTER SLIGHTLY EACH TIME. ON THE FINAL LANDING ATTEMPT, THE TAIL ROTOR IMPACTED AN ORANGE BACKPACK ON THE GROUND, TEARING THE BACKPACK AND DAMAGING SOME OF ITS CONTENTS. NO INJURIES.

THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CONDUCT AERIAL FIREFIGHTING TRAINING WITH AN EXTERNAL LOAD CONSISTING OF A 50 FT LONGLINE AND A WATER BUCKET. THE LZ CONSISTED OF ABOUT 2.5 FT TALL PRAIRIE GRASS, WITH THE TAIL OF THE HELICOPTER GOING UP SLOPE. UPON LANDING, ONE OF THE GROUND CREW INFORMED THE PIC OF THE STRIKE. THE PILOT WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE GROUND CREW DURING THE TRAINING. HOWEVER, DURING THE LANDING, THERE WAS NO COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GROUND CREW AND THE PILOT EITHER VIA RADIO OR HAND SIGNAL.

THE PILOT PERFORMED A SELF-ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS LESS DAMAGE THAN A TAIL ROTOR ON THE SAME MAKE/MODEL HELICOPTER THAT HAD BEEN CLEARED BY MAINTENANCE AT A PREVIOUS OPERATOR. THE PIC FLEW THE HELICOPTER BACK TO BASE WITH THE GROUND CREW ONBOARD. THE PILOT REPORTED THERE WERE NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES WITH THE AIRFRAME OR THE ENGINE THAT  WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL OPERATION.

THE PIC AND OPERATOR NOTED THAT DURING NORMAL OPERATIONS A GROUND CREW EXIT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER WITH ALL BAGS/TOOLS BEING STACKED ON THE SAME SIDE.  UNDER MOST CIRCUMSTANCES, THE GROUND CREW MEETS THE HELICOPTER AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION WHEN FINISHED. FOR THIS TRAINING EXERCISE, THE SAME LZ WAS UTILIZED AND THE BACKPACK NEVER MOVED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN23LA385](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA385), Aug 27, 2023: Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206 (N19BH), Hibbing, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The ground crew’s failure to secure the backpack at the landing zone (LZ), that resulted in the tail rotor impacting the backpack during the landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s…

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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