Bell UH-1H N56CF
25 March 2001 · Zuni, New Mexico, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 25 March 2001 at about 20:30 local time, a Bell UH-1H registered N56CF was involved in an accident near Zuni, New Mexico, United States. One person was 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 20:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Zuni, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.0798, -108.7595
- Aircraft
- Bell UH-1H
- Registration
- N56CF
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Ferry
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Albuquerque → Winslow
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN01LA077
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
a hard landing due to the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during autorotation/flare. A factor was the total loss of engine power due to mechanical failure.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
While in cruise flight, the pilot noticed an illuminated master caution light and high engine oil temperature. A few moments later, he received a report from a pilot in a second helicopter telling him that his engine was on fire. The pilot then noticed an engine chip light. He shut down the engine and "initiated an autorotation." The engine seized at approximately 200 feet above ground level (AGL) and the helicopter hit the ground hard. The skids grabbed in the soft dirt and collapsed. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the skids, bottom of fuselage and fire damage to the engine. The fire extinguished prior to landing. An examination of the engine at a helicopter repair station in Redding, California, identified that the "engine's number three and four bearing pack seal had failed." The failure resulted in "high engine oil temperature, which led to the engine fire and subsequent failure of the engine."
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell UH-1H accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Nov 2001 | Bell UH-1H | El Limon, El Salvador | Salvadoran Air Force | Fatal | 9 |
| 4 Jun 2000 | Bell UH-1H | Fort Myers, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 20 Jan 2000 | Bell UH-1H | Fort Myers, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 May 2000 | Bell UH-1H | Frenchville, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 28 Mar 2000 | Bell UH-1H | Tingo Mar, Peru | Peruvian National Police | No injuries | - |
| 7 Sep 2000 | Bell UH-1H | Waynesville, North Carolina, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2001 | Cameron Balloons N-210 | Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 2001 | North American SNJ-5 | Raton, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Mar 2001 | Cessna 172F | Clovis, New Mexico, United States | Eastern New Mexico Flight Academy | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 2001 | Cessna 172N | Farmington, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 May 2001 | 1977 Colfer-Chan STEEN SKYBOLT | Gallup, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Oct 2001 | Beechcraft 58 | Farmington, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |