Bell 206-L4 N995PM
28 August 2001 · Mesa, Arizona, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 28 August 2001 at about 17:30 local time, a Bell 206-L4 registered N995PM was involved in an accident near Mesa, Arizona, United States. 2 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.
The record
- Date
- at 17:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Mesa, Arizona, United States
- Nearest airport
- Falcon Field (FFZ)
- Coordinates
- 33.5103, -111.5804
- Aircraft
- Bell 206-L4
- Registration
- N995PM
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Mesa → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX01LA292
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot's improper autorotation in that he failed to attain the proper descent rate resulting in a hard landing and subsequent airframe damage. A factor was the high temperature.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During a practice autorotation, the helicopter landed hard bending the tail boom. An examination of the helicopter indicated the damage resulted from the hard landing. The tail boom had ripped out at the aft bulkhead, and the landing skids were bent upward at the aft end. The nose of the helicopter was also damaged when the helicopter rocked forward after the hard landing. The helicopter then stopped upright on the skids with no damage to the main rotor blades. The pilot stated that he was doing a practice autorotation landing when the accident occurred. During the last landing, the helicopter "fell through" much faster than anticipated. The pilot stated that no mechanical anomalies were experienced prior to or after the accident. The temperature at the time of the accident was 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The pilot stated that in the future he will allow a higher margin for autorotation power recovery in hot conditions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Aug 2001 | Bell 206L-3 | Cameron, Louisiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Jun 2001 | Bell 206-L4 | Daytona Beach, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Jan 2001 | Bell 206L-1 | Quincy, Illinois, United States | Air Evac EMS | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 May 2001 | Bell 206B | San Diego, California, United States | David K. Martz | No injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 2001 | Bell 206B-III | Park Rapids, Minnesota, United States | EAC Helicopters, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Jan 2001 | Bell 206L-1 | Tyonek, Alaska, United States | Kenai Air Alaska, Inc. | No injuries | - |
All 1,732 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jul 2001 | Watkins VELOCITY | Winslow, Arizona, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Mar 2001 | Air Tractor AT-802 A | Maricopa, Arizona, United States | Sarita Aerial Contractors Inc | No injuries | - |
| 10 Nov 2001 | Cessna 150L | Nogales, Arizona, United States | Alpha Air | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 2001 | Cessna 172N | Show Low, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 2001 | Cessna 170B | Payson, Arizona, United States | Joe F. West | No injuries | - |
| 13 Nov 2001 | Cessna 172M | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Sunbird Flight Services | No injuries | - |