- Date
- December 10, 1991, 08:55 local (14:55 UTC)
- Place
- Arlington, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2770XBell 206L-3+
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911210063059A
- Case key
- 18420
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 helicopter's autorotational landing performance capability was exceeded. Factors were the proper descent rate was not possible for the PIC and sufficient information from the manufacturer was not provided.
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 experimental certificated helicopter was being test flown as part of the height velocity diagram development for the 206L4 certification program. The test pilot was conducting aborted takeoffs when at 30 feet and 50 knots he initiated an autorotation. The collective was lowered slightly and a high descent rate occurred. During the descent the main rotor RPM decreased and the helicopter landed hard resulting in tailboom buckling and separation of the tail rotor drive shaft. The pilot's application of collective before touchdown did not arrest the descent rate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2770X
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-3+
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51022
- Airframe hours
- 3,577
- Engine
- Allison 250C-30P, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Bell Helicopter Textron
- Registered owner
- Bell Helicopter Textron
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 14, 1991 · 53 hours before
- Airport
- F54 · Arlington Municipal, runway 16, 4,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,200 total · 100 in this make and model · 8,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DFW, 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.