Bell 206B N22743

Summary

On 2 November 2015 at about 22:24 local time, a Bell 206B registered N22743, operated by Applebee Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Dallas, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and 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

2 November 2015 at 22:24

Classification

Accident

Location

Dallas, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

45.0069, -123.4019

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N22743

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Applebee Aviation Inc

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

External Load

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dallas → Dallas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR16LA020

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot of the helicopter reported that, after he released the external load of trees in the loading zone and about 50 ft above ground level, it seemed like the engine experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot stated that he heard an abnormal noise as the helicopter began to spin to the right, and the low rotor rpm warning light illuminated. The pilot jettisoned the external load line and rolled the throttle toward a closed position in order to counteract the yawing motion, with no response noted. The pilot then initiated an autorotation; during the landing sequence, the helicopter impacted a tree and came to rest upright in a nose-high position. The pilot further stated that, after the helicopter came to rest, he noted that the engine was at a "very slow idle" and he had to shut down the engine. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no evidence of any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The engine was removed and installed in an engine test cell and ran throughout various power settings. The airframe fuel filter was removed. The filter element was almost black. The fuel removed was dark, and debris was observed within the fuel filter bowl. The fuel sample from the filter housing was tested and found to be within Jet A specifications. The debris noted within the sample contained various metals, the source of which could not be determined. Given that fuel was found throughout the fuel system, it is unlikely that the debris in the filter resulted in a blockage and restriction of fuel flow; however, the reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.