- Date
- July 6, 1989, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chiefland, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2137UBell 206L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890706039149I
- Case key
- 32333
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
Engine failure due to failure of the first stage turbine wheel disk.
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 flt was nearing the designated pick-up area at about 300 ft & was on final aprch, when a noise was heard from the eng section. The pilot made an autorotation into a field. An exam of the turbine section revealed that it was 'locked up.' Disassembly of the turbine module revealed that a piece of the first stage turbine wheel disk had separated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2137U
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45727
- Airframe hours
- 6,191
- Engine
- Allison C28B-250, 500 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Kenn Aire Medical Corp.
- Registered owner
- Kenn Air Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 1, 1989 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- 63FL · Gainesville, FL
- Flight plan
- 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
- 44
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 10,966 total · 2,291 in this make and model · 8,763 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GNV, 52 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 N2137U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.