- Date
- December 18, 2000, 13:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Hurst, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8240GBell 206B3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 6, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001218027919A
- Case key
- 50790
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
the flight instructor's failure to maintain directional control during the practice hydraulic off run-on landing. Contributing factors were the gusty wind conditions, and the non-breakaway runway edge light.
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
After the airline transport pilot (ATP) receiving instruction completed a practice hydraulic off run-on landing to runway 35, the flight instructor brought the helicopter to a 10-foot hover with the hydraulics off. He started a hydraulic off approach to the runway and transferred the controls to the ATP to complete the maneuver. The ATP landed the helicopter on the center of the runway, and as the helicopter was sliding forward, it began to drift to the right. The flight instructor took charge of the controls and with left cyclic applied, increased collective to miss a runway edge light, but was unable to get the helicopter airborne in time to miss the light. The helicopter's right skid slid up against the runway edge light (non-breakaway), which stood about 10-12 inches above the ground. As the right skid slid along the light, the helicopter rolled over onto its right side. The ATP stated that the aircraft didn't begin to drift until during the transfer of controls. The tower controller reported that the wind at the time of the accident was from 320 degrees at 18 knots gusting to 26-32 knots.
Factual narrative
On December 18, 2000, at 1315 central standard time, a Bell 206B3 helicopter, N8240G, was substantially damaged when it rolled over during landing at the Bell Helicopter Training Strip near Hurst, Texas. The helicopter was registered to the Textron Financial Corporation and operated by Bell Helicopter Textron. The flight instructor and the airline transport pilot receiving instruction sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The local flight originated from the Bell Helicopter Training Center, Hurst, Texas, approximately 1235.
The flight instructor reported that after the airline transport pilot (ATP) completed a practice hydraulic off run-on landing to runway 35, he (instructor) brought the helicopter to a 10-foot hover with the hydraulics off. He started a hydraulic off approach to the runway and transferred the controls to the ATP to complete the maneuver. The ATP landed the helicopter on the center of the runway, and as the helicopter was sliding forward, it began to drift to the right. The flight instructor took charge of the controls and with left cyclic applied, increased collective to miss a runway edge light, but was unable to get the helicopter airborne in time to miss the light. The helicopter's right skid slid up against the runway edge light (non-breakaway), which stood about 10-12 inches above the ground. As the right skid slid along the light, the helicopter rolled over onto its right side.
The ATP reported in a written statement that after the flight instructor brought the helicopter off the ground with the hydraulics off and began to fly down the runway, he said "let me show you something" and transferred the controls saying "you've got it - touch down before the X." The helicopter touched down before the X, and the instructor took charge of the controls. The ATP stated that the aircraft didn't begin to drift until during the transfer of controls.
The Bell tower controller reported that the wind at the time of the accident was from 320 degrees at 18 knots gusting to 26-32 knots.
Examination of the helicopter by the FAA inspector revealed that the main transmission had separated from the fuselage, the mast was bent, the tail boom was buckled, and both main rotor blades were damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8240G
- Reported as
- Bell 206B3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4500
- Airframe hours
- 948
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C20J, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Bell Helicopter Textron
- Registered owner
- Textron Financial Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 6, 2000 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- 2F2
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- 2F2 · Bell Helicopter Tng Strip, runway 35, 2,000 × 50 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
- 63
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19,700 total · 4,300 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 18 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 122 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 2F2
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.