- Date
- October 28, 2021, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Covelo, CA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N27TKBell 206L-3
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20211028018029A
- Case key
- 104227
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
A passenger’s unsecured object departed the cabin resulted in a collision with the tail rotor drive shaft.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the helicopter reported that, he was conducting a local area photography/video flight with passengers. Before departure he had removed the doors and provided a preflight safety briefing, which included briefing his passengers on securing their belongings. While in cruise flight, a passenger’s jacked departed the helicopter and became lodged on the synchronized elevator. The pilot simultaneously felt an impact and noted resistance against the cyclic control. A precautionary landing was made without further incident. The tail rotor drive shaft was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N27TK
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-3 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51138
- Built
- 1985
- Airframe hours
- 14,046
- Engine
- Rolls Royce C250-030P, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Helico Sonoma Inc.
- Registered owner
- National Rotorcraft LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 8, 2021 · 45.4 hours before
- Departed
- UKI · Ukiah, CA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- UKI · Ukiah Muni
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Satellite tracking device
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
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Private
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 22, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,701 total · 87 in this make and model · 88 in the last 90 days · 47 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KUKI, 40 nm away
- METAR
- KUKI 281856Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 19/12 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP215 T01890122
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 8, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.