was located in the crater. The vertical stabilizer, horizontal stabilizer, and portion of the tail rotor came to rest next to the crater. The tail boom was separated from the fuselage, and fractured into several pieces, some of which displayed signatures consistent with main rotor blade contact. The skids separated from the fuselage and were fractured into several sections, which were located along the wreckage path.
The fuselage exhibited downward
crushing, and the cabin was fractured aft of the seat structures. Both the auxiliary and main fuel tanks were intact and contained fuel, and both fuel caps were secure. The fuel vent tubes were separated from the auxiliary tank by impact, which allowed fuel to drain from the tanks following the accident.
The main rotor remained attached to the fuselage. One blade was bent up and displayed several chordwise creases along its span. The second blade was bent up about 45 degrees near its root. Neither blade displayed signifi cant leading edge damage. The tail rotor drive shaft separated from the helicopter during the accident sequence, and a 5-foot portion was located about 500 feet west of the main wreckage. The aft portion of the tail rotor drive shaft was not recovered.
The helicopter was removed from the accident site and transported to a salvage facility for further examination. Flight control continuity was confi rmed from the cockpit area to the main rotor system. Tail rotor control continuity was established from the cockpit to the intermediate fl ex coupling. The main rotor gearbox rotated smoothly by hand with no anomalies observed. Examination of the v-belts,
sheaves, and overrunning clutch also revealed no anomalies.
Tail rotor drive continuity was established from the upper drive sheave to the intermediate fl ex coupling. The tail rotor gearbox rotated smoothly, with no anomalies noted. Power was applied to the engine starter, and utilizing the fuel onboard, the engine started, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously for several minutes with no anomalies noted.
Preliminary Injuries: 2 Fatal.
On December 31, 2014, at 1710 mountain standard time, a Bell 206 L4, N57AW, collided with terrain 7 miles west of Benson, Arizona. The commercial pilot and pilot-rated mechanic were fatally injured, and the helicopter was destroyed. The helicopter was operated by a commercial helicopter operator as 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning fl ight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the fl ight, which operated on a company visual fl ight rules fl ight plan. The fl ight originated form Glendale, Arizona, at 1550, and was destined for Sierra Vista, Arizona.
The operator reported that the helicopter had not arrived
at its destination and
that the Sky Connect Tracking System indicated that the helicopter was at a stationary location between Tucson and Benson. The Cochise County Sheriff located the helicopter wreckage about 2030 at the location the Sky Connect system was reporting. The helicopter was fragmented into
multiple pieces along
a 174-foot-long debris path. Witnesses living in the local area reported hearing a
Editor’s Note: Although an accident is painful for all involved, a cursory review of accidents that have occured are both reflective and instructive. Accident reports give us unique insights into specific flights and situations that may make each of us reflect on our own operations or current flying environment. I encourage pilots, mechanics, crewmembers, and decision makers to make it a habit to study the industry’s recent history. If they trigger higher awareness that saves even one life or one airframe, it will have been well worth the read.
low fl ying helicopter around the time of the accident, and that the visibility at ground level was very limited, with low clouds and fog.
Preliminary Injuries: 2 Minor.
On December 31, 2014, about 1330 Pacifi c standard time, an MD Helicopter Inc. 369FF, N530KK, was substantially damaged
during an emergency
autorotation following a sudden loss of engine power in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two commercial pilots on board sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was registered to and operated by a metropolitan police department as a public-use fl ight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no fl ight plan was fi led. The local fl ight originated from North Las Vegas Airport, Las Vegas, at 1322.
The pilot reported that he was orbiting when he noticed a drop in engine and rotor revolutions per minute (rpm). The pilot then rolled the helicopter out of the orbit, and the engine and rotor rpm stabilized momentarily at 97%. The pilot attempted to increase the engine and rotor rpm while turning west towards the North Las Vegas Airport. During the maneuver, the engine and rotor rpm rapidly degraded. The pilot entered an autorotation and executed an emergency landing. The helicopter touched down hard. The tail impacted the ground and separated from the airframe.
58
February 2015
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