Summary
On August 23, 1996, a Bell 206B (N206FT) was involved in an incident near Greybull, WY. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's misjudged recovery (remedial action) from a simulated autorotation demonstration.
On August 23, 1996, approximately 1435 mountain daylight time, a Bell 206-B3 helicopter, N206FT, sustained substantial damage while maneuvering near Greybull, Wyoming. The airline transport pilot and his passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed, and there was no report of an ELT actuating.
The pilot stated that he was demonstrating autorotations to his passenger. At 800 feet above the ground and about 80 knots airspeed, he rolled off the throttle and initiated the maneuver, planned to be a power-on recovery. At the time he flared to recover, he heard a horn and had a light on the panel. The aircraft touched down easy on the nearly level surface and slid less than one yard.
This incident is documented in NTSB report SEA96LA205. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N206FT.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot's misjudged recovery (remedial action) from a simulated autorotation demonstration.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On August 23, 1996, approximately 1435 mountain daylight time, a Bell 206-B3 helicopter, N206FT, sustained substantial damage while maneuvering near Greybull, Wyoming. The airline transport pilot and his passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed, and there was no report of an ELT actuating.
The pilot stated that he was demonstrating autorotations to his passenger. At 800 feet above the ground and about 80 knots airspeed, he rolled off the throttle and initiated the maneuver, planned to be a power-on recovery. At the time he flared to recover, he heard a horn and had a light on the panel. The aircraft touched down easy on the nearly level surface and slid less than one yard. The main rotor separated the tailboom. The pilot did not believe that the aircraft had sustained a loss of power, and he surmised that he may have made a pitch change application at too high an altitude.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA96LA205