- Date
- March 23, 1989, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Leadville, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5008QBell 222
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890323004739A
- Case key
- 17684
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
Failure of the pilot to compensate adequately for wind conditions with rudder pedals while maneuvering in unfavorable wind and high density altitude.
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
The plt & a technician were performing rearward flt to test an experimental eng instln. The maneuver used was a rearward hover to 20 KTS, followed by a right pedal turn to reverse course & fly away. The plt was using rwy 16 & the wind was from 260 deg at 12 KTS. The plt rprtd that drg the right turn, the helicopter entered an uncommanded right spin. The plt was unable to maintain anti-torque control & lowered the collective to land. However, the helicopter touched down with sideward movement, collapsing the nose & left main gear. The tail rotor blades contacted the rwy drg the gear failure & the tail rotor gearbox was torn from the tail section. The plt originally suspected a hydraulic problem, but an inspn failed to reveal evidence of any pre-acdnt failure or malfunction. Elevation & temperature were 9927 ft & 65 deg, respectively.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5008Q
- Reported as
- Bell 222
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 47009
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30G, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Heli-Air, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- LVX
- Airport
- LXV · Leadville, runway 16, 5,300 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,490 total · 102 in this make and model · 1,313 as pilot in command · 77 in the last 90 days · 61 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.