# NTSB CEN13LA359: Bell 206 - L4, N467AE, Lake City, AR, June 19, 2013 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 19, 2013, 16:20 local (21:20 UTC) - Place: Lake City, AR - Coordinates: 35.825553, -90.641113 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.8256&lon=-90.6411&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 30, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Bell Helicopter (Tech advisor to TSB), Air Evac Lifeteam, Rolls Royce, FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 87240 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN13LA359 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/87240/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=87240 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA359 ## Probable cause A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=1181455), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=1181455), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot stated he was on final approach to a private helipad about 80 to 100 feet above the ground at an airspeed of 40 knots when the engine lost partial power. He lowered the collective and touched down short of the helipad on the edge of tall grass and dirt, and the helicopter subsequently bounced. A postaccident examination of the airframe and a test run of the engine in a test cell and on the airframe identified no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The cause of the partial loss of engine power could not be determined. ## Factual narrative On June 19, 2013, about 1620 central daylight time, N467AE, a Bell BH-206 L-4 helicopter, sustained substantial damage when it made a forced landing after a partial loss of engine power while on final approach to a private helipad (AE02) in Lake City, Arkansas. The commercial pilot, flight nurse, and the paramedic were not injured. The helicopter was registered to a private entity and operated by Air Evac EMS, Incorporated, O'Fallon, Missouri. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the repositioning flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated from a private helipad (AE03) in Sikeston, Missouri, about1534. The pilot reported that the helicopter was approximately 80-100 feet above the ground at an airspeed of 40 knots when the engine lost power. He described the power loss as being similar to when a turbine engine rolls back to flight idle. The pilot lowered the collective to conserve rotor rpm, and touched down short of the landing pad on tall grass/dirt and bounced, which resulted in damage to the skids and the tail boom. According to the operator, the helicopter and the engine had accrued a total of 154.3 hours since new. An airframe examination was conducted on June 25, 2013, at the operator's maintenance facility in Pomona, Missouri, under the supervision of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Examination of the helicopter's main rotor, tail rotor, flight control, and hydraulic systems revealed no pre-impact anomalies. In addition, examination of the fuel system revealed no leaks or discrepancies that would have contributed to a loss of engine power. The engine was examined at Rolls Royce in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 9, 2013, under the supervision of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The engine was placed on a test-cell stand where it was visually examined and checked for leaks. No leaks or discrepancies were observed that would have precluded the engine from being run. The engine was then placed in an engine test-cell and run in accordance to the Rolls-Royce 250-C30 series overhaul manual. The engine was started and ran through its full power range twice. No anomalies were identified that would have contributed to a loss of engine power. The engine was returned to the operator and re-installed on the helicopter using the same controllers and a ground run was conducted in accordance with the manufacturer's Operational Acceptance Flight Checklist for the BH-206L. The purpose of the test was to try and duplicate the loss of engine power reported by the pilot and to determine if any other anomalies may have contributed to the accident. The ground run did not identify any anomalies with either the airframe or engine that would have contributed to a partial loss of engine power. The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate for rotorcraft-helicopter, and an instrument rating for rotorcraft-helicopter. He reported atotal flight time of 5,380 hours; of which, 2,007 hours were in the same make/model helicopter as the accident helicopter. Weather at Jonesboro Municipal airport (JBR), about 10 miles southwest, at 1553 was reported as calm wind, 10 miles visibility, few clouds at 4,400 feet, temperature 29 degrees C, and a dewpoint 20 degrees C. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N467AE](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N467AE), registered now, S/N 52438, built 2012 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL 206 - L4 (L4) - Registry model: [Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-textron-canada-206l-4) (registry code 1181455) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rolls-Royce 250-C30P](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c30p) (registry code 54013, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 52438 - Airframe hours: 154 - Engines: Rolls Royce CAE-896154 650 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: Air Evac EMS INC - Registered owner: JP Morgan Chase Bank - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, May 19, 2013, 154 hours before - Departed: AE03, Sikeston, MO - Destination: AE02, Lake City, AR - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: AE02, Air Evac Helipad - Equipment: Handheld GPS, Data recorder ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 58; injuries: none; commercial; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review March 4, 2013; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 5,380 total, 2,007 in this make and model, 5,270 as pilot in command, 33 in the last 90 days, 14 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 68 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: JBR, 10 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20130619010259A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130619010259A), Jun 19, 2013: Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4, Lake City, AR, Substantial damage. On June 19, 2013, at 1620 CDT, a Bell 206L-4, N467AE, registered to jp morgan chase bank and operated by air evac EMS, inc., experienced a power loss/hard… ## Docket (8 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 3, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=87240. 7.4 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1A (item 1, .PDF, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40412995&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1A-Redacted.PDF - Written Statement - Pilot (item 2, .PDF, 23 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40412996&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Written%20Statement%20-%20Pilot-Redacted.PDF - Email From FAA (item 3, .PDF, 46 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40412997&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Email%20From%20FAA-Redacted.PDF - NTSB Engine Examination Report (item 4, .PDF, 4.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40412998&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Engine%20Examination%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Results-Operational Acceptance Flight Checklist BH 206L (item 5, .PDF, 703 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40412999&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Results-Operational%20Acceptance%20Flight%20Checklist%20BH%20206L-Master.PDF - NTSB Party Form - Air Evac Lifeteam (item 6, .PDF, 320 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40413000&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Party%20Form%20-%20Air%20Evac%20Lifeteam-Redacted.PDF - NTSB Party Form - Rolls Royce (item 7, .PDF, 235 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40413001&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Party%20Form%20-%20Rolls%20Royce-Redacted.PDF - NTSB Wreckage Retention - Release Form (item 8, .PDF, 197 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40413002&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Wreckage%20Retention%20-%20Release%20Form-Redacted.PDF 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.