Agusta A119 N911SL

Summary

On 12 June 2002 at about 20:15 local time, a Agusta A119 registered N911SL was involved in an accident near Okeechobee, Florida, 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

12 June 2002 at 20:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Okeechobee, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Okeechobee County (OBE)

Coordinates

27.2628, -80.8497

Aircraft

Agusta A119

Registration

N911SL

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Okeechobee → Fort Pierce

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA02TA109

Nobody was injured.

the fracture of one of the tail rotor blades as a result of fatigue cracking in the blade spar, and subsquent impact of the main rotor with the tailboom.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Just after takeoff from the hospital helicopter-pad, at an altitude of about 250 feet, the pilot reported hearing and feeling "a loud bang," and the helicopter "yawed to the right." The paramedic in the rear of the helicopter stated that she saw parts of the tail rotor go by the left side of the helicopter. The pilot turned the helicopter to the right 270 degrees, and elected to perform a run-on landing in a cow pasture. After touchdown the helicopter skidded several feet, and nosed down in the dirt, resulting in the main rotor blades making contact with the tailboom and subsequently separating the tailboom from the fuselage. Laboratory examination revealed that the fracture of one of the tail rotor blades, was a result of fatigue cracking in the blade spar.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.