DEN03LA097

NTSB accident investigation · Bell 206B III · Broomfield, CO · May 31, 2003

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
May 31, 2003, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
Place
Broomfield, CO
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N382SPBell 206B III
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 25, 2003
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA FSDO
Case key
57140

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

the student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and the instructor's inadequate supervision.

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.

Dragged wing,rotor,pod,float or tail/skidLanding - flare/touchdown
Loss of tail rotor effectiveness - simulatedPilot in command
Aircraft control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Supervision - inadequatePilot in command(cfi)Factor
Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Terrain condition - runway

Analysis

According to the instructor, he demonstrated six (three left and three right), stuck pedal approaches [simulated loss of tail rotor effectiveness]. The student took the controls and set up for a simulated stuck right pedal approach. As the student added collective lever control at the end of the approach, the nose of the helicopter yawed to the right. Approximately 2 feet above the taxiway, the student rolled off the power to control the right yaw. The helicopter settled down in a tail low attitude, the rear of both landing skids struck the taxiway, and the helicopter rocked forward. When the instructor took the controls to stabilize the landing, the helicopter became airborne and the right skid tube struck the taxiway a second time. He rolled the helicopter forward, landed on both skid tubes, and slid the helicopter to a stop. The helicopter received substantial damage to both aft cross-tube saddle mounts.

Factual narrative

On May 31, 2003 at 1430 mountain daylight time, a Bell 206B III helicopter, N382SP, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at Jeffco Airport (BJC), Broomfield, Colorado. The commercial certificated flight instructor and the private pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for this local instructional flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at approximately 1345.

According to the instructor, he demonstrated six (three left and three right), stuck pedal approaches [simulated loss of tail rotor effectiveness]. The student took the controls and set up for a simulated stuck right pedal approach to taxiway Delta. As the student added collective lever control at the end of the approach, the nose of the helicopter yawed to the right. Approximately 2 feet above the taxiway, the student rolled off the power to control the right yaw. The helicopter settled down in a tail low attitude, the rear of both landing skids struck the taxiway, and the helicopter rocked forward. When the instructor took the controls to stabilize the landing, the helicopter became airborne and the right skid tube struck the taxiway a second time. He rolled the helicopter forward, landed on both skid tubes, and slid the helicopter to a stop. The helicopter received substantial damage to both aft cross-tube saddle mounts.

Aircraft

Registration
N382SP
Reported as
Bell 206B III
Category
Helicopter
Serial number
2271
Airframe hours
8,021.3
Engine
Allison 250 C20S, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Registered owner
Bill Murphy & Tim Kosmerl
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · May 1, 2003 · 58.9 hours before
Departed
BJC
Destination
BJC · CO
Airport
BJC · Jeffco

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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Flight instructor
Age
34
Injuries
None
Certificate
Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Last flight review
February 19, 2003
Seat
Left
Flight hours
1,620 total · 145 in this make and model · 1,540 as pilot in command · 225 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Role
Pilot
Age
39
Injuries
None

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
160° at 8 knots
Visibility
5 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
200 ft broken
Temperature
81 °F, dew point 57 °F
Altimeter
29.98 inHg
Observed at
BJC