Bell OH-58C N927SP
9 May 2013 · Jekyll Island, Georgia, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 9 May 2013 at about 18:00 local time, a Bell OH-58C registered N927SP, operated by Georgia Aviation Authority, was involved in an accident near Jekyll Island, Georgia, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 18:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Jekyll Island, Georgia, United States
- Nearest airport
- Jekyll Island (09J)
- Coordinates
- 31.0714, -81.4233
- Aircraft
- Bell OH-58C
- Registration
- N927SP
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Georgia Aviation Authority
- Operating rule
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Jekyll Island → Jekyll Island
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA13TA237
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain rotor rpm in the normal operating range during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the inadequate supervision by the flight instructor.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
As part of the training and evaluation flight, the pilot was demonstrating to the instructor a simulated engine failure and autorotation to touchdown with the engine throttle at the idle setting throughout the maneuver. At the termination of the maneuver, the pilot increased collective pitch to stretch the glide, and the rotor rpm was allowed to decay to the lower end of the normal operating range. He then "abruptly" flared the helicopter to slow its ground speed and added additional collective pitch to level the helicopter. The rotor rpm decayed further, the helicopter landed hard, and the main rotor struck the tailboom, severing the tail rotor driveshaft. Both pilots reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell OH-58C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jan 2013 | Bell OH-58C | Riverdale, California, United States | Blair Helicopter Service Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Oct 2013 | Bell OH-58C | Omaha, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Apr 2013 | Bell OH-58C | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Maricopa County Sheriffs Department | No injuries | - |
| 12 May 2011 | Bell OH-58C | New Athens, Illinois, United States | Couch Helicopter Service Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 27 May 2011 | Bell OH-58C | Panama City, Florida, United States | Bay County Sheriffs Office | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Nov 2016 | Bell OH 58C | Cameron, North Carolina, United States | Helicopter Applicators Inc | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jul 2013 | Piper PA-28-181 | Columbus, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Feb 2013 | Ayres S2R-T34 | Fort Gaines, Georgia, United States | Coates Flying Service Inc | No injuries | - |
| 8 Sep 2013 | Cessna 172B | Shellman Bluff, Georgia, United States | Wilson Curtis E | No injuries | - |
| 7 Feb 2013 | Bombardier CL-600-2B19 | Bowman, Georgia, United States | PSA Airlines, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Feb 2013 | Beechcraft 390 | Thomson, Georgia, United States | Richard Z. Trammell | Fatal | 5 |
| 14 Sep 2013 | Miller/Culpepper CHRISTEN EAGLE II | Blythe, Georgia, United States | Nodorft Allen J | Serious injuries | - |