devilmaster
08-04-05, 04:02 PM
In my daily perusing, found this....
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20050629X00894&key=1
On June 25, 2005, at 1302 eastern daylight time, a Bell 206B, N1212N, was substantially damaged during a hard landing following an autorotation to Burke Lakefront Airport (BKL), Cleveland, Ohio. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local airborne signal relay flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the operator, the purpose of the flight was for the helicopter to act as an airborne relay station for television signals during an automobile race.
The pilot reported in a written statement that he was hovering the helicopter at 5,000 feet above mean sea level (msl), when he heard a loud "bang." The helicopter then yawed in a nose right direction, and pitched nose down. The pilot regained control of the helicopter about 1,500 feet msl, and subsequently performed an autorotation to runway 24R. The helicopter landed "hard," and the main rotor contacted the tail boom, separating it from the helicopter.
A witness, who was also a helicopter pilot, observed the accident helicopter. The witness first heard the helicopter hovering over the racetrack about 5,000 feet. He subsequently heard a loud "bang," then looked up and saw the helicopter "dropping at a fairly good rate." The helicopter was in a level attitude, and it appeared that the pilot flew the helicopter in an easterly direction, then entered an autorotation. The helicopter arrested its high rate of descent, and turned left 180 degrees, to the west. It then sounded as if the engine power had been reduced to idle.
About 3,000 feet above the ground, the helicopter continued to descend at a rate that was "normal" for an autorotation. The helicopter turned to the north, and flew straight for about 1/4 to 1/2 mile, then turned southerly toward runway 24R. About 75 to 100 feet above the ground, the helicopter flared, and started to slow. The helicopter pitched in a nose down direction, and descended to about 15 feet above the runway, then pitched in a nose up direction again, and slowed. The rear portion of the skids contacted the ground first, at a speed "that a person could run." The helicopter quickly pitched in a nose down direction, leveling the skids on the ground, while the main rotor system "stayed back," severing the tail boom at about it's mid-point. The helicopter yawed in a nose left direction about 90 degrees, then came to rest. As the main rotor system slowed, the witness noted that it was moving fore, aft, and site-to-side in an unstable manner.
The witness then proceeded to the helicopter as the pilot exited it. The two individuals then discussed the accident, and subsequently opened the helicopter's engine cover. Inside the engine bay, they found pieces of the main drive shaft coupling.
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for rotorcraft helicopter. The pilot also held a mechanic certificate with a rating for airframe and powerplant. The pilot's most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second-class medical certificate was issued on August 8, 2005, and on that date the pilot reported 1,000 total hours of flight experience.
FAA inspectors examined the helicopter following the accident. Components of the main drive shaft were retained for further testing.
The weather reported at the airport, at 1253, included winds from 340 degrees at 6 knots, clear skies, temperature 88 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 69 degrees Fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 30.08 inches of mercury.
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20050629X00894&key=1
On June 25, 2005, at 1302 eastern daylight time, a Bell 206B, N1212N, was substantially damaged during a hard landing following an autorotation to Burke Lakefront Airport (BKL), Cleveland, Ohio. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local airborne signal relay flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the operator, the purpose of the flight was for the helicopter to act as an airborne relay station for television signals during an automobile race.
The pilot reported in a written statement that he was hovering the helicopter at 5,000 feet above mean sea level (msl), when he heard a loud "bang." The helicopter then yawed in a nose right direction, and pitched nose down. The pilot regained control of the helicopter about 1,500 feet msl, and subsequently performed an autorotation to runway 24R. The helicopter landed "hard," and the main rotor contacted the tail boom, separating it from the helicopter.
A witness, who was also a helicopter pilot, observed the accident helicopter. The witness first heard the helicopter hovering over the racetrack about 5,000 feet. He subsequently heard a loud "bang," then looked up and saw the helicopter "dropping at a fairly good rate." The helicopter was in a level attitude, and it appeared that the pilot flew the helicopter in an easterly direction, then entered an autorotation. The helicopter arrested its high rate of descent, and turned left 180 degrees, to the west. It then sounded as if the engine power had been reduced to idle.
About 3,000 feet above the ground, the helicopter continued to descend at a rate that was "normal" for an autorotation. The helicopter turned to the north, and flew straight for about 1/4 to 1/2 mile, then turned southerly toward runway 24R. About 75 to 100 feet above the ground, the helicopter flared, and started to slow. The helicopter pitched in a nose down direction, and descended to about 15 feet above the runway, then pitched in a nose up direction again, and slowed. The rear portion of the skids contacted the ground first, at a speed "that a person could run." The helicopter quickly pitched in a nose down direction, leveling the skids on the ground, while the main rotor system "stayed back," severing the tail boom at about it's mid-point. The helicopter yawed in a nose left direction about 90 degrees, then came to rest. As the main rotor system slowed, the witness noted that it was moving fore, aft, and site-to-side in an unstable manner.
The witness then proceeded to the helicopter as the pilot exited it. The two individuals then discussed the accident, and subsequently opened the helicopter's engine cover. Inside the engine bay, they found pieces of the main drive shaft coupling.
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for rotorcraft helicopter. The pilot also held a mechanic certificate with a rating for airframe and powerplant. The pilot's most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second-class medical certificate was issued on August 8, 2005, and on that date the pilot reported 1,000 total hours of flight experience.
FAA inspectors examined the helicopter following the accident. Components of the main drive shaft were retained for further testing.
The weather reported at the airport, at 1253, included winds from 340 degrees at 6 knots, clear skies, temperature 88 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 69 degrees Fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 30.08 inches of mercury.