Bell 206L-1 N3904L

Summary

On 27 June 1983 at about 14:00 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N3904L was involved in an accident near Lafayette, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

27 June 1983 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lafayette, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Municipal (LFT)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 206L-1

Registration

N3904L

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → High Island

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW83LA297

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE HELICOPTER MADE A HARD PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AFTER THE PLT NOTED THE ROTOR RPM AND N2 WOULD BLEED OFF WHEN COLLECTIVE PITCH WAS INCREASED TO 80 PERCENT TORQUE. THE PLT RETURNED TO THE ARPT AND ELECTED TO AUTOROTATE INSTEAD OF LANDING WITH POWER AVAILABLE. THE AUTOROTATION RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING. THE POWER LOSS WAS FOUND TO BE CAUSED BY FAILURE OF THE FULL CONTROL LEVER TO OPEN FULLY. THIS WAS THE RESULT OF A MECHANIC OVERTIGHTING THE THROTTLE LINKAGE WHEN A PLT COMPLAINED OF THROTTLE CREEPING OPEN. THIS CREEPING IS CONSIDERED NORMAL ON A BELL 206L-1 ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.