Bell 206B N90013

Summary

On 26 November 2003 at about 21:00 local time, a Bell 206B registered N90013, operated by Horsham Valley Airways, was involved in an accident near Cranston, Rhode Island, 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

26 November 2003 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Cranston, Rhode Island, United States

Coordinates

41.7425, -71.4522

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N90013

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Horsham Valley Airways

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Providence → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC04LA039

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadvertent encounter with loss of tail rotor effectiveness. A factor was the wind change.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was performing a series of passes for a ground camera, at an altitude of about 350 feet AGL, and an indicated airspeed of 20 to 25 knots. Three passes were completed into the wind with no problems. On the fourth pass, the pilot noticed the wind had changed from a headwind to a 90 degree left crosswind of about 10 to 15 knots. At the same time, the nose of the helicopter drifted right and he was unable to regain control prior to ground impact. A check of the FAA Advisory Circular on Unanticipated Right Yaw revealed the wind change placed the helicopter in situation where he was susceptible to loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.