- Date
- September 20, 1997, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Houma, LA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N210PHBell 206L-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970920027649A
- Case key
- 20349
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 loss of aircraft control resulting from a bird strike that severed the cyclic flight control.
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
A bird struck and sheared the cyclic push pull tube during the helicopter's cruise flight at 800 feet MSL. The helicopter started 'shaking violently' and cyclic inputs did not correct the attitude of the aircraft. When the pilot lowered the collective full down and rolled the throttle to the idle position, the helicopter entered a 'near level attitude and a slight left bank.' At about 15 feet AGL, the pilot applied full aft cyclic and pulled pitch for the landing. The helicopter touched the ground in a left sideways movement and bounced once before coming to rest.
Factual narrative
On September 20, 1997, at 1615 central daylight time, a Bell 206L-3 helicopter, N210PH, owned and operated by Petroleum Helicopters. Inc, of Lafayette, Louisiana, under Title 14 CFR Part 91, collided with terrain following a loss of control during cruise flight near Houma, Louisiana. The commercial pilot received minor injuries and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the repositioning flight that departed Fort Jackson, Louisiana, at 1547, under a company VFR flight plan.
An interview, conducted by the investigator-in-charge, revealed that the helicopter was in cruise flight at 800 feet MSL about 14 miles from Houma when the pilot heard a loud bang and the helicopter started "shaking violently." Cyclic inputs did not correct the attitude of the aircraft. The pilot, with seat belt and shoulder harness secured, was thrown about the cockpit as the helicopter pitched down and to the left. The pilot lowered the collective full down and rolled the throttle to the idle position. The helicopter entered a "near level attitude and a slight left bank." At about 15 feet AGL, the pilot applied full "aft cyclic and pulled pitch to try to cushion the landing." The helicopter touched the ground in a slight left sideways movement and bounced once before coming to rest.
An examination of the helicopter revealed that a bird struck and sheared the cyclic (yellow) push pull tube. The aft portion of the tailboom was bent and the right horizontal stabilizer winglet was separated from the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N210PH
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51541
- Airframe hours
- 2,821
- Engine
- Allison 250 C30P, 450 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Petroleum Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · September 2, 1997 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Fort Jackson, LA
- Destination
- HUM · LA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,108 total · 4,342 in this make and model · 58 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.