Bell 206B N90215

Summary

On 15 May 1998 at about 01:10 local time, a Bell 206B registered N90215 was involved in an accident near Temecula, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 May 1998 at 01:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Temecula, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N90215

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fallbrook → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX98LA159

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power due to a deteriorated compressor air seal which resulted in the fracture and separation of several stator vanes. Deterioration was not detected as a result of an inadequate maintenance inspection frequency.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter departed from the fuel truck and subsequently experienced a partial loss of engine power at about 10 feet above sloping terrain. The aircraft settled and impacted the ground. The pilot stated that the engine was still spooling down as he exited the aircraft. When the engine compressor section was examined, it was determined that the internal compressor case plastic coating was cracked with sections of the plastic missing. Erosion which exceeded the manufacturer's allowable limits was visible through the first four vane stages and was most evident in the lower case half. According to the engine manufacturer, when compressor erosion is unchecked it will eventually result in a fatigue fracture of one of the vanes due to a loss of stiffness. The maintenance manual states that the compressor case should be replaced if any vanes are cracked, broken, or show any evidence of tip rub on the rotor spacer. It further states that corrosion or erosion can cause damage to the compressor blades and vanes that can result in engine failure. The manufacturer specifies inspection intervals of the compressor case should be determined by the operating environment, but in any case, should not exceed 300 hours. The compressor case halves had were replaced in December 1996 and had accumulated approximately 600 hours at the time of the accident. They had not been inspected since being overhauled. The pilot reported that the helicopter had been operating in desert terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.