Bell BH-206-B N17HA

Summary

On 8 April 2001 at about 13:45 local time, a Bell BH-206-B registered N17HA was involved in an accident near Ringgold, Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 April 2001 at 13:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Ringgold, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

36.5996, -79.2997

Aircraft

Bell BH-206-B

Registration

N17HA

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Danville → Ringgold

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD01LA041

2 people had minor injuries.

pilot's failure to properly control the helicopter during a slope landing, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot/owner prepared to land on an estimated 7 degree slope with the right/uphill skid first. When the right skid made contact with the ground, the helicopter began to rock back and forth longitudinally. The pilot then lifted the helicopter back up into the air, but it nosed forward. To counteract the nose down attitude, the pilot applied aft cyclic, but it did not arrest the situation. The pilot was then concerned about striking trees that were directly in front of him, so he "dropped" the collective to set the helicopter down again. However, the helicopter landed on the front part of the skids, and rolled over onto its nose, and came to rest on its left side. According to Advisory Circular 90-87-Helicopter Dynamic Rollover, "During normal or slope take-offs and landings with the same degree of bank angle or side drift with one skid on the ground, the bank angle or side drift can place the helicopter in a situation where it is pivoting (rolling) about a skid, which is still in contact with the ground. When the uphill slope skid hits the ground, the dynamics of the motion can cause the helicopter to bounce off the upslope skid, and the inertia can cause the helicopter to roll about the downslope ground contact point and over onto its side. The collective should not be pulled suddenly to get airborne, as a large and abrupt rolling moment in the opposite direction will result. This movement can be uncontrollable. If the helicopter develops a roll rate with one skid on the ground, the helicopter can roll over on its side." The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.