Bell 206B N59611

Summary

On 27 September 2008 at about 19:00 local time, a Bell 206B registered N59611, operated by James E Simon, was involved in an accident near Woods Landing-Jelm, Wyoming, United States. One person was 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

27 September 2008 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Woods Landing-Jelm, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

41.1331, -106.0005

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N59611

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

James E Simon

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Laramie → Laramie

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA08LA213

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's encounter with a loss of tail rotor effectiveness event and his failure to maintain directional control while maneuvering. Contributing to the accident were the tailwind condition and the sloping, uneven terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was flying over his ranch property at about 50 knots looking for stray cattle when "...a strong tailwind or twister caused the ship to vibrate very fast and violent, and dove to the right." The pilot stated that several people on the ground observed the helicopter spin 5 to 6 times before impacting the uneven and sloping ground and rolling over. The pilot further stated, "I couldn't get response from the tail rotor, collective, or cyclic." The ranch foreman saw the helicopter making a "big circle," followed by 3 or 4 "tight circles" in a clockwise direction before impacting terrain. A post crash examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector revealed no apparent malfunctions. The pilot reported no preimpact anomalies with the helicopter. The Rotorcraft Flying Handbook states that a loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE) is the occurrence of an uncommanded yaw rate that does not subside on its own accord, which can result in the loss of helicopter control. The recovery technique for LTE is full left pedal while simultaneously moving cyclic control forward to increase airspeed. If altitude permits, reduce power. FAA Advisory Circular 90-95 states, "Any maneuver which requires the pilot to operate in a high-power, low-airspeed environment with a left crosswind or tailwind creates an environment where unanticipated right yaw may occur."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.