Bell 206B N92CA

Summary

On 26 January 2004 at about 23:45 local time, a Bell 206B registered N92CA was involved in an accident near Turner, Oregon, 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.

Date

26 January 2004 at 23:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Turner, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

44.8389, -122.9167

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N92CA

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Salem → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA04LA036

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection which failed to detect contaminated fuel. A collapsed fuel screen was a contributing factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was practicing maneuvers with a 100-foot long line attached in preparation for a check ride the following day. The pilot reported that he was in a hover with the hook at the end of the line just touching the ground. The pilot then increased altitude and raised the hook off the ground about 10 feet, when the engine suddenly decreased power to idle. The pilot immediately initiated an autorotation to an open field. The helicopter subsequently touched down tail low, followed by the main rotor blades contacting and severing the tailboom. Post-accident inspection of the engine found the fuel nozzle screen collapsed with traces of contaminant in the screen. Water and bacterial contaminants were found in the airframe filter bowl and fuel pump filter bowl. It was also noted that Kerosene (K-1), which is not approved for this engine was being used instead of Jet A. The engine was test run in a test cell and although the engine was found to run below normal rated shaft horsepower, no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction was found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.