- Date
- December 9, 1990, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Coeur D'Alene, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N53MABell 206B-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 41108
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
Failure of the pilot-in-command (PIC) to maintain rotor RPM, and a delay by the FAA inspector (flight examiner) in taking remedical action.
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 (PIC) and an FAA inspector (check plt) were on a combined flt instructor & FAR part 135 check flt. The check plt instructed the PIC to execute a simulated fixed-tail rotor failure; the check plt simulated the failure by holding the rgt pedal slightly in, while the PIC removed his feet from the pedals. The PIC initiated a run-on landing with an estimated 10 deg rgt yaw. He rprtd that just before landing, at about 5 mph & 2 ft AGL, the helicopter began to yaw further to the right. He retarded the throttle to align the helicopter with the gnd track & increased the collective to cushion the landing. The helicopter touched down firmly. No problem with helicopter was noted at that time; however, after the flt, wrinkles were noted on the tail boom, similar to those depicted in bell opns safety notice (osn) 206-84-13.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53MA
- Reported as
- Bell 206B-3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2285
- Airframe hours
- 4,020
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- River City Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Fred Guenther
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 14, 1990 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- COE
- Airport
- COE · Coeur D'Alene, runway 1, 5,400 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 50
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg