Bell UH-1H N24CF

Summary

On 13 November 2006 at about 18:10 local time, a Bell UH-1H registered N24CF was involved in an accident near Melrose, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 November 2006 at 18:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Melrose, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

34.6047, -103.6011

Aircraft

Bell UH-1H

Registration

N24CF

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Longview → Albuquerque

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN07LA024

1 person was seriously injured.

the in-flight failure and separation of both tail rotor blades. Contributing factors in this accident were the check pilot interferring with the controls and his failure to relinquish control to the pilot-in-command.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter was in cruise flight approximately 600 feet agl (above ground level) when it experienced "moderate to heavy" vibration. The pilot said he knew the tail rotor had failed because the anti-torque pedals would go to the floor with no effect. He also knew the tail rotor had failed when he attempted to make a run-on landing. As they got nearer to the ground, the check pilot "got on the controls" and would not relinquish them. The check pilot pulled back on the cyclic and slowed the helicopter, which immediately started "spinning violently to the right." The pilot-in-command "slammed the collective down" in an attempt to hit the ground hard and turn the helicopter over and stop it from spinning. He tried to roll off the throttle (which is the proper procedure for loss of tail rotor thrust in accordance with the Pilot Operating Handbook), but the check pilot was on the controls and he could not override him. The pilot-in-command turned off the main fuel control in an attempt to shut down the engine and stop the helicopter from spinning. The helicopter impacted terrain and rolled over on its side. Examination of the helicopter revealed both tail rotor blades were missing. The 90-degree gearbox was still attached and the tail rotor drive shaft showed no damage. Despite an extensive search, the tail rotor blades were not recovered. No other anomalies were found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.