Bell 206B N4YJ

Summary

On 30 July 2007 at about 11:43 local time, a Bell 206B registered N4YJ was involved in an accident near Grand Prairie, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 July 2007 at 11:43

Classification

Accident

Location

Grand Prairie, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.6461, -96.9958

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N4YJ

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dallas → Dallas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW07LA173

1 person was seriously injured.

The loss of engine power as result of the failure of one or more of the compressor blades for the 5th stage compressor for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the pilot to execute a successful autorotation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After departing their home base, the flight reported on the traffic and news for a local television and radio station for 42 minutes. While the helicopter was transiting from another location for an upcoming news story, the helicopter experienced a loss of engine power while in cruise flight at 800-feet above ground level. The pilot reported that he initiated a left 180-degree turn to a clear area. The autorotation was terminated over tall grass and during touchdown the helicopter rolled over and came to rest on its right side. The accident site was a wooded area with soft soil on rough and uneven terrain. The 8,000-hour helicopter pilot reported having accumulated approximately 7,000-hours in the Bell 206 helicopter, with 200-hours within the last 90 days and 50 hours in the last 30 days. The pilot reported that he did not perceive any anomalies or engine warnings prior to the loss of engine power. A preliminary examination of the helicopter was conducted under the supervision and control of the NTSB Investigator-in-Charge. Initial examination of the engine revealed that the compressor (N1) would not rotate. The engine was subsequently removed from the airframe and shipped to the engine manufacturer's facilities for further evaluation and teardown examination. The engine examination revealed that all of the blade airfoils for the 5th stage compressor had separated from the wheel, with no signs of distress on the first 4 stages of the compressor. Damage to the 6th stage of the compressor and compressor case assembly were considered to be secondary. A detailed metallurgical examination of the compressor revealed that the compressor failure was result of the separation of one or more of the 5th stage compressor blades. Some of the blade fragments were recovered during the engine examination; however they were heavily damaged precluding further analysis. The reason for the failure of the compressor blade(s) could not be determined due to the extensive secondary damage of the components involved.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.