ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 239057
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| Date: | Monday 3 August 2020 |
| Time: | 19:41 |
| Type: |  Eurocopter EC 130B4 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N55GJ |
| MSN: | 3745 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2003 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2012 hours |
| Engine model: | Turbomeca Arriel 2B1 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Knoxville, TN -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Knoxville-McGhee Tyson Airport, TN (TYS/KTYS) |
| Private landing site, Knoxville, TN | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On August 3, 2020, at 1941 eastern daylight time, a Eurocopter EC130-B4 helicopter, N55GJ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in Knoxville, Tennessee. One passenger was fatally injured, and the pilot and two additional passengers were not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The helicopter pilot was returning to his property located adjacent to a river. As the helicopter descended toward the water at a 25° angle with low forward airspeed, the pilot applied power to arrest the descent. However, the helicopter continued to descend until it impacted the river short of the intended landing area. The pilot and two passengers survived the impact and a third passenger drowned.
The investigation revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have prevented the normal operation of the helicopter. Recovered flight data indicated the engine was producing power at the time of impact. Weather reports and statements from the pilot and witnesses indicated that the helicopter descended steeply with little forward airspeed and a tailwind of about 5 knots, which is a flight profile conducive to vortex ring state. The pilot’s reported lack of collective authority when increasing power to arrest the helicopter’s descent is also consistent with the helicopter entering vortex ring state. A pilot's failure to monitor altitude, airspeed, and rate of descent during an approach can result in a flight profile conducive to vortex ring state.
Probable Cause: The pilot's entry into vortex ring state and his inability to arrest the helicopter's descent while maneuvering for landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://newschannel9.com/news/local/knoxville-fd-person-killed-3-swim-to-safety-after-helicopter-crashes-in-tennessee-river
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2020/08/03/report-helicopter-crashes-into-tennessee-river-near-alcoa-highway/5578702002/
https://www.wvlt.tv/2020/08/04/helicopter-crashes-into-tennessee-river-according-to-knox-county-dispatch/
https://www.wbir.com/article/news/kfd-helicopter-crashes-into-tennessee-river-near-alcoa-highway/51-26562eb8-7beb-4b28-86bc-b5c6e61e52bc
https://www.wvlt.tv/2020/08/04/helicopter-crashes-into-tennessee-river-according-to-knox-county-dispatch/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Knoxville/comments/i3a5jj/this_is_the_house_near_the_crash_site_and/
NTSB
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/NNum_results.aspx?NNumbertxt=55GJ
https://flightaware.com/photos/view/53567-17df64d4074e3b3917534302700f7970591fabfb/aircrafttype/EC30 (photo0
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB (after recovery)
Media:
A "steep approach" with "little-to-no airspeed" to a riverside landing site lead to VRS and a water impact. One passenger was unable to escape from the sinking helicopter. https://t.co/1SM3D3Hqkj #helicopter #vrs #accident #flightsafety #aviationsafety pic.twitter.com/RXLganb9Gw
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) July 2, 2022
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Aug-2020 01:55 | Geno | Added |
| 04-Aug-2020 02:01 | Geno | Updated [Source] |
| 04-Aug-2020 06:02 | gerard57 | Updated [Total fatalities, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 04-Aug-2020 06:12 | Aerossurance | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Phase, Nature, Narrative] |
| 04-Aug-2020 06:18 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Narrative] |
| 04-Aug-2020 06:43 | HeliHub | Updated [Registration, Cn, Source] |
| 04-Aug-2020 06:51 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Phase, Nature, Source] |
| 04-Aug-2020 10:14 | Aerossurance | Updated [Aircraft type, Source] |
| 04-Aug-2020 10:14 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location] |
| 04-Aug-2020 13:49 | Geno | Updated [Operator, Source] |
| 04-Aug-2020 21:31 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 26-Aug-2020 08:58 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 24-Jun-2022 15:50 | Aerossurance | Updated [Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source] |
| 29-Jun-2022 12:14 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, Photo] |
| 02-Jul-2022 13:52 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Damage] |
| 02-Jul-2022 14:07 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code] |
| 10-May-2023 13:05 | Captain Adam | Updated [[Embed code]] |
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