- Date
- December 2, 1988, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pinson, AL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3TVBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881202053059A
- Case key
- 7866
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Two FAA inspectors were conducting currency training when the helicopter landed hard during a practice power recovery autorotation. The pilot had delayed in applying power and collective pitch. Upon contact with the ground, all engine instruments indicated normal operation and the engine RPM indicated idle power. The pilot failed to maintain adequate rotor RPM. After the touchdown, an inspection failed to disclosed any damage, but when the flight returned to birmingham substantial structural damage was noted in the right rear skid area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3TV
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 206B
- Airframe hours
- 3,535
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Rotor Wing Inc.
- Registered owner
- Rotor Wing, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 6, 1988 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- Birmingham, AL
- Destination
- Pinson, AL
- Airport
- Gilmer, runway 36, 2,500 × 150 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,644 total · 4 in this make and model · 3,127 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BHM
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.