Bell 206L-3 N216TV

Summary

On 1 December 2011 at about 17:00 local time, a Bell 206L-3 registered N216TV, operated by U S Helicopters Inc, was involved in an accident near Wingate, North Carolina, United States. 2 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

1 December 2011 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wingate, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

US Helicopters Heliport (N46)

Coordinates

34.9844, -80.4192

Aircraft

Bell 206L-3

Registration

N216TV

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

U S Helicopters Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wingate → Wingate

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12CA095

Nobody was injured.

The certified flight instructor did not select an adequate landing site for the practice autorotation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The certified flight instructor (CFI) was demonstrating a touchdown autorotation from an altitude of 1,500 feet above ground level to a turf runway. He stated that, during the maneuver, the helicopter's sink rate seemed high, so he continued to pull pitch to arrest the descent rate. The helicopter touched down with a slight forward speed on a downhill slope, and the rear portion of the skids became momentarily stuck in the soft turf. The helicopter pitched forward after breaking loose from the turf, and the main rotor blade contacted the vertical stabilizers and tail rotor drive shaft cover, resulting in substantial damage. The CFI stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.