Pilot Debrief

BELL 206B near Spicewood, TX — 2011-09-15

Final reportCEN11LA646
Sign in to save
Date
2011-09-15
Location
Spicewood, TX, USA
Aircraft
BELL 206B
Registration
N3181J
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The pilot did not maintain adequate rotor rpm during a low-altitude maneuvering flight.

NTSB narrative

While maneuvering the helicopter at an altitude of about 400 feet above ground level, the pilot heard the low rotor aural warning in his headset and observed that the rotor speed gauge was reading about 80 percent and decreasing. He lowered the collective, initiated a left turn, and began an autorotative descent to hilly terrain that contained trees and power lines. During the autorotation, the pilot attempted to avoid the power lines, and the helicopter impacted terrain. Although the pilot reported that he believed the engine lost power, a postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions. Additionally, the helicopter’s engine was run in a test cell for 1 hour 50 minutes with no anomalies detected.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have landed safely before attempting to maneuver in low rotor conditions.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

Related mishaps