ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 272464
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| Date: | Saturday 1 September 2007 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Bell 206L-3 |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | ZS-RUM |
| MSN: | 51357 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1990 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: / Occupants: |
| Aircraft damage: | |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Grand Central Aerodrome – Helicopter General Flying Area -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | |
| Nature: | |
| Departure airport: | Grand Central Aerodrome (FAGC) |
| Grand Central Aerodrome (FAGC) | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot, who was also the owner of the helicopter, was practising auto-rotations in the helicopter general flying area of Grand Central Aerodrome. Weather conditions were fine, with the prevailing surface wind being light and variable from the west. During his third auto-rotation, the pilot experienced low main rotor RPM as he initiated the flare and he therefore opened the throttle to join the rotor and power turbine needles. He was at a height of approximately 50 feet above ground level (AGL) at the time and at an indicated airspeed of 70 to 80 knots. The pilot was unable to correct the low rotor rpm problem and as he was in close proximity to the ground, he executed a hard landing on slightly sloping terrain. On impact with the ground, the main rotor blades severed both vertical stabilisers and struck the tail-rotor driveshaft. The impact resulted in the separation of a section of the driveshaft assembly, which was flung approximately 20 m from the main wreckage. Following the accident, the pilot switched the engine off by deactivating the fuel valve. The pilot was not injured in the accident. He held a valid private pilot licence and the aircraft type was endorsed in his logbook. The last MPI (Mandatory Periodic Inspection) carried out on the aircraft prior to the accident was certified on 24 August 2007 at 4 267.0 airframe hours. Since the MPI, a further 4.5 hours had been flown with the helicopter. The AMO that certified the last inspection prior to the accident had been in possession of a valid AMO approval at the time. Probable Cause The pilot allowed the main rotor RPM to decay below the minimum safe range during a practised auto- rotation in close proximity to the ground, resulting in a hard landing with main rotor blade contact to the airframe structure.
Accident investigation:
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|
Sources:
S.A. CAA
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
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