Bell 222 N222ML

Summary

On 30 March 2019 at about 16:15 local time, a Bell 222 registered N222ML was involved in an accident near Montgomery, New York, United States. 6 people were 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

30 March 2019 at 16:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Montgomery, New York, United States

Coordinates

41.5394, -74.3069

Aircraft

Bell 222

Registration

N222ML

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1982

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Montgomery → Wallkill

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19LA145

1 person had minor injuries.

A partial loss of engine power, as reported by the pilot, during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined based on available information.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The twin-engine helicopter was about 500 ft into the initial climb after takeoff from the pilot’s private property when he noticed a “split” in the #1 and #2 engine rpm needles, with the #1 engine rpm indicating below normal operating rpm, and the #2 engine rpm indicating above normal operating rpm. The pilot believed that this was believed that this was indicative of a loss of power on the #1 engine and returned to the property for a run-on landing. The helicopter touched down, encountered uneven ground, and rolled onto its left side, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Postaccident examination of the airframe found both of the throttles near the idle position, and no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of any airframe components. Both engines and their respective power turbine governors were examined and successfully test run after the accident. During the examinations, the #2 engine’s P3 Ng speed sensor connector was found disconnected. According to the engine manufacturer, if the disconnection had occurred inflight, the cockpit indication of the engine speed for the #2 engine would have been zero. Given this information, and the pilot’s description that the #2 engine rpm was abnormally high, it is likely that the disconnection of the connector occurred as a result of the accident sequence and not during the flight. Based on these findings, the reason for the difference between the indications of the two engines that the pilot observed during the takeoff could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.