- Date
- November 21, 2007, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Twin Falls, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N123SDBell 206A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20071121826959A
- Case key
- 67157
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 pilot misjudged the flare which resulted in a hard landing.
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 pilot indicated that the purpose of the flight was to finish the post annual flight check and to check the autorotational rpm during a simulated engine out condition. The pilot was flying in the left seat and there was an observer in the right seat. He entered a 180-degree autorotation and at 70 feet above ground level, began a gradual flare. During the flare, the helicopter contacted the asphalt surface of the taxiway. The helicopter hopped and then came to a stop. The pilot initiated another pattern and power recovery autorotation. He then hover taxied to the maintenance hangar ramp area and performed a normal shutdown. Post flight inspection revealed a wrinkle in the tail boom.
Factual narrative
The pilot indicated that the purpose of the flight was to finish the post annual flight check and to check the autorotational rpm during a simulated engine out condition. The pilot was flying in the left seat and there was an observer in the right seat. He entered a 180-degree autorotation and at 70 feet above ground level, began a gradual flare. During the flare, the helicopter contacted the asphalt surface of the taxiway. The helicopter hopped and then came to a stop. The pilot initiated another pattern and power recovery autorotation. He then hover taxied to the maintenance hangar ramp area and performed a normal shutdown. Post flight inspection revealed a wrinkle in the tail boom.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N123SD
- Reported as
- Bell 206A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- MB-1
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gerald Haye
- Registered owner
- Stutzman Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- TWF · Twin Falls, ID
- Airport
- TWF · Joslin Field
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 5,531 total · 900 in this make and model · 73 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.42 inHg
- Observed at
- TWF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.