Bell OH-58A N38FA

Summary

On 1 March 2012 at about 18:00 local time, a Bell OH-58A registered N38FA, operated by B & S Air Inc, was involved in an accident near Eufaula, Alabama, 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 March 2012 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Eufaula, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Weedon Field Airport (EUF)

Coordinates

31.9511, -85.1278

Aircraft

Bell OH-58A

Registration

N38FA

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

B & S Air Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Eufaula → Eufaula

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12CA199

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for the gusting wind, which resulted in an excessive descent rate and hard landing.

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 conducting annual refresher training with a certified flight instructor. During a practice autorotation to runway 18, the helicopter descended below a nearby tree line and then suddenly dropped. He stated that the helicopter descended so rapidly that he was unable to arrest the descent rate and the helicopter landed hard. The pilot reported that the wind was from 230 degrees at 10 knots with gusts to 19 knots at the time of the accident. He reported that, as the helicopter descended below treetop level, "…we lost all lift and wind advantage." The hard landing resulted in a fractured tail boom. The pilots reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.