Bell 206B N2292W

Summary

On 25 July 1990 at about 21:10 local time, a Bell 206B registered N2292W was involved in an accident near Quincy, California, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 July 1990 at 21:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Quincy, California, United States

Coordinates

39.9602, -121.0007

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N2292W

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Storrie → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX90FA268

Nobody was injured.

AN UNIDENTIFIED CONTAMINATE LODGED IN THE FUEL GOVERNOR.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A HELICOPTER AERIAL SURVEY AND WAS CRUISING AT 400 FT AGL IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHEN THE ENGINE, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, SUSTAINED A FLAME OUT. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED AN AUTOROTATION AND WAS ABLE TO FIND A SUITABLE LANDING AREA. ON FINAL APPROACH HE OBSERVED A STEEL CABLE TRAVERSING THE LANDING SITE DIRECTLY IN THE HELICOPTER'S FLIGHT PATH. HE WAS ABLE TO FLY OVER THE CABLE BUT IN DOING SO THE MAIN ROTOR RPM DECAYED AND THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED A HARD LANDING. THE POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT OPERATE AT GOVERNOR POWER LEVEL ANGLES OF LESS THAN 50 DEG. AFTER BENCH TESTING THE POWER TURBINE GOVERNOR IT OPERATED NORMALLY WHEN PLACED ON THE ENGINE. TEST ENGINEERS REPORTED THAT THIS CONDITIONS, IN ALL PROBABILITY, INDICATES A CONTAMINATE LODGED IN THE POWER TURBINE GOVERNOR. IT WAS DISCLODGED DURING THE BENCH TEST.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.