Bell 206L-1 N20Z

Summary

On 7 May 2013 at about 18:00 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N20Z, operated by Corporate Aircraft Services, was involved in an accident near La Junta, Colorado, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 May 2013 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

La Junta, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

37.9603, -103.4703

Aircraft

Bell 206L-1

Registration

N20Z

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Corporate Aircraft Services

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

La Junta → La Junta

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13LA310

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind during low-altitude operations, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of the flight was to videotape a pipeline corridor. The commercial pilot reported that, while flying over mainly flat rural areas, the helicopter entered an uncommanded left yaw, returned to straight flight for about 1 to 2 seconds, and then entered an uncommanded right yaw that continued until the helicopter impacted the ground. GPS data from the camera used to videotape the pipeline corridor indicated that the helicopter's groundspeed was about 37 knots when it entered the uncommanded left yaw. Weather information from an airport about 5 miles away from the accident site indicated that the helicopter was flying with a tailwind of 11 knots gusting to 16 knots, which resulted in a calculated airspeed of between 22 and 26 knots. A postaccident examination of the airframe, engine, and control system revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The helicopter was operating in a high-power, low-airspeed condition that required the pilot to be especially aware of wind direction to avoid tailwinds, which can result in a loss of control due to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot's operation of the helicopter at a low airspeed with a gusting tailwind resulted in the loss of tail rotor effectiveness.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.