- Date
- August 19, 1989, 11:50 local (16:50 UTC)
- Place
- Fruithurst, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N117VBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890819033749A
- Case key
- 7916
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Pilot's failure to maintain main rotor RPM while executing an autorotation which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to follow autorotation procedures after the reported engine failure.
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
Reportedly, the pilot experienced a complete engine failure while patrolling utility lines at 700 feet AGL. He entered an autorotative glide to an open field. The pilot stated that he had to avoid trees close to the ground, at which time main rotor RPM decayed. The pilot could not level the helicopter before the tail rotor struck the ground. The helicopter examination failed to disclose any mechanical problem. The engine and attached components were examined, and no material or system malfunction was detected. However, the helicopter was capable of autorotating normally. The pilot allowed the rotor RPM to decay below a point where he could not recover without the helicopter sustaining damage. This was the second accident where this pilot was involved as pilot in command and autorotative procedures were in question.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N117V
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1453
- Airframe hours
- 5,662
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mid-State Executive Helicopter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · August 11, 1989 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- Tuscaloosa, AL
- Destination
- Anniston, AL
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,960 total · 787 in this make and model · 5,862 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.