Bell 206B N6624N

Summary

On 7 October 1999 at about 17:15 local time, a Bell 206B registered N6624N, operated by Arizona Heliservices Inc., was involved in an accident near Apache Junction, Arizona, United States. 3 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

7 October 1999 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Apache Junction, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N6624N

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Arizona Heliservices Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Willcox → Mesa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX00LA055

Nobody was injured.

Oil starvation and seizure of the engines Nos. 6 and 7 bearings due to a clogged oil jet, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While in cruise flight about 600 feet agl, the pilot noticed that the engine oil pressure was high and the torque gauge was exceeding the high limits. The engine chip light became illuminated. As the pilot descended to make an immediate landing, the engine quit about 75 to 100 feet agl. The pilot autorotated to the ground. The main rotor blades severed the tail cone aft of the horizontal stabilizer after the toe of the left skid became entangled in a large bush and separated. A teardown examination of the engine was conducted. The mechanic reported that the Nos. 6 and 7 bearings displayed evidence of heat distress and oil starvation. When he blew through the oil jet for the Nos. 6 and 7 bearings, he heard something pop out. He opined that it might have been a piece of carbon, which could have prevented the flow of oil into the turbine. He stated that all other components of the lubrication system were intact and functional. No other discrepancies were found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.