- Date
- March 27, 1994, 14:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Belen, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2779BBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940327006799A
- Case key
- 19020
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 hard landing due to a delayed flare and improper touchdown. A factor was the loss of engine power.
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 engine lost power at an altitude of 200 - 400 feet above ground level. The pilot entered an autorotation to a flat desert area, free of obstacles. The helicopter touched down hard and caused substantial damage to the airframe and dynamic components. An examination of the engine revealed that the P3 line was leaking.
Factual narrative
On March 27, 1994, at 1420 mountain standard time, a Bell 206B, N2779B, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Belen, New Mexico. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the positioning flight.
The pilot stated in the Pilot/Operator report that he was in cruise flight at 200-400 feet above ground level when the engine "started to spool down." He further stated that he "entered autorotation and had a hard landing."
An evaluation of the terrain available for the forced landing revealed that it was flat desert free of obstacles.
An inspection of the helicopter revealed that during the hard landing control linkages failed, the left skid tip was severed, skid cross tube assembly penetrated the fuselage in the underside area, engine oil pan was penetrated, and the tail boom was severed by the main rotor blades, resulting in damage to both rotor blades. The aircraft came to rest in the upright position.
An examination of the engine assembly revealed that the P3 line, associated with the fuel system, was leaking. The manufacturer reported that this condition would result in a loss of engine power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2779B
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2819
- Airframe hours
- 11,639
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 450 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Aero West Management Services, doing business as Aerowest Management Services
- Registered owner
- Msi Helicopter, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 26, 1993 · 103 hours before
- Departed
- ALM · Alamogordo, NM
- Destination
- AEG · Albuquerque, NM
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,366 total · 186 in this make and model · 1,316 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 25 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ABQ, 20 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.
Other investigations on N2779B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.