Bell 206L-1 N123HP

Summary

On 13 July 2013 at about 19:40 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N123HP, operated by Southwest Heliservices LLC, was involved in an accident near Inyokern, California, 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

13 July 2013 at 19:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Inyokern, California, United States

Nearest airport

Inyokern (IYK)

Coordinates

35.6586, -117.8294

Aircraft

Bell 206L-1

Registration

N123HP

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Southwest Heliservices LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Inyokern → Inyokern

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13CA329

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the pilot to maintain aircraft control during a practice autorotation maneuver and the pilot providing training's delayed remedial action which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the lack of communication between the two pilots.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a flight for the purpose of the pilot to acquire the minimum flight hours to act as pilot-in-command, he and a pilot providing training (who was not a flight instructor) of the helicopter were practicing autorotation's from flight to a power recovery. The pilot providing training stated that on the fourth autorotation the pilot allowed the rotor rpm to decay and then froze on the controls, not allowing him to increase the throttle. He was able to level the helicopter; however, it landed hard and the main rotor blades struck and severed the tail boom. The pilot reported that at the initiation of the maneuver, the pilot providing training rolled the throttle off, and the downwind glide was established. The pilot stated that as he leveled the helicopter and collective was pulled, he realized that the engine was not completely back on line. The pilot providing training subsequently took over the flight controls and flew the helicopter to the ground. Both pilots reported the need for better verbal commands or stating intentions throughout the maneuver. Neither pilot reported a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.            

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.