N571CJ

On December 28, 2023, about 1340 eastern standard time, a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, N571CJ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Walland, Tennessee. The pilot and five passengers were not injured. The helicopter was operated by Whirl'd Helicopters, Inc. doing business as Scenic Helicopter Tours as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight.

According to the pilot, the flight departed from Eagles Landing Heliport (03TN), Sevierville, Tennessee, around 1300 for a local sightseeing tour flight. About 35 minutes into the flight, he observed an engine chip light annunciation on the instrument panel. The pilot immediately began maneuvering toward a landing area, and within a few seconds, he started to hear an abnormal noise from the engine. The engine oil temperature and pressure were indicating zero, and he immediately entered an autorotation, while continuing to maneuver to the landing area that he had selected. About 3-5 seconds after entering the autorotation the engine stopped producing power. He continued to autorotate to a field, and on impact the helicopter skidded forward several feet and came to a stop. During this time, the main rotor blades contacted one of the vertical stabilizers on the tailboom causing substantial damage to the tailboom.

The helicopter was retained for further examination.