- Date
- October 7, 1985, 08:10 local (13:10 UTC)
- Place
- Tomball, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N515EHBell 206L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851007049699A
- Case key
- 21871
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Acft was substantially damaged as a result of a hard landing during an emergency autorotation following a complete power loss. The power loss occurred as a result of an uncontained failure of the no. 1 turbine wheel. The wheel burst as a result of a fatigue failure of the turbine to compressor coupling which allowed the shaft to decouple. When the turbine section decoupled the engine experienced an overspeed. The orgin of the fatigue fracture was found in the scallop area on the turbine end of the shaft. The eng failure occurred at low altitude on departure and the plt had to maneuver the acft in order to make the only available forced landing area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N515EH
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45364
- Airframe hours
- 2,764
- Engine
- Allison 250-C28B, 435 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Dhl Airways, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Helicopters Unlimited
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · September 23, 1985 · 10 hours before
- Destination
- IAH · Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- DWH · David Wayne Hooks
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,333 total · 3,444 in this make and model · 4,143 as pilot in command · 155 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CXO, 15 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.