- Date
- August 27, 1985, 08:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- East Clovis, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N204RHBell 204-B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850827045959A
- Case key
- 24854
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
The acft was being flown for a maintenance ck. While climbing at about 50 ft AGL a bang was heard and eng RPM decreased. Plt initiated autorotation and attempted a flare at about 20 ft AGL. The tail rotor hit and the acft became airborne after hitting on the skids with the eng RPM increasing again. The acft began to spin to the rt anc came to rest upright. An eng teardown showed the compressor and stators had errosion damage. The acft had just had maintenance performed and was undergoing a flt test power check when the acc occurred. The plt said the eng 'quit' and he though it might have been a compressor stall.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N204RH
- Reported as
- Bell 204-B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2025
- Airframe hours
- 11,225
- Engine
- Lycoming T-5313B, 1,250 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91 subpart F
- Registered owner
- Rogers Helicopter, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 13, 1985 · 59 hours before
- Airport
- Rogers Heliport
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,200 total · 1,480 in this make and model · 8,180 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAT, 5 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.