Bell 206L-1 N2018R

Summary

On 28 August 2013 at about 17:30 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N2018R, operated by Airlift Helicopters Inc, was involved in an accident near Payson, Arizona, United States. 6 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

28 August 2013 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Payson, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Payson (PAN)

Coordinates

34.2569, -111.3392

Aircraft

Bell 206L-1

Registration

N2018R

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1981

Engines

1

Operator

Airlift Helicopters Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Scottsdale → Flagstaff

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13LA390

1 person was seriously injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to an overtemperature event that thermally damaged the turbine blades and vanes, which resulted in a hard landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the engine lost power while the helicopter was in cruise flight about 1,500 ft above ground level. He subsequently entered an autorotation and performed an emergency off-airport landing. During the descent, he maneuvered the helicopter to avoid obstacles; the helicopter subsequently landed hard, and the tailboom separated. Examination of the engine revealed that the outer portion of the engine's first-stage turbine blades and three vanes from the first-stage nozzle were thermally damaged. The turbine blades' microstructure exhibited signatures consistent with an engine overtemperature event; however, it could not be determined when the overtemperature damage occurred. The postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no additional evidence of a mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. Weight and balance calculations revealed that, when the helicopter departed, it was over its allowable gross takeoff weight but that it was under its allowable gross operational weight at the time of the engine power loss.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.