ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 293093
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Wednesday 7 September 2005 |
| Time: | 18:30 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 206B |
| Owner/operator: | Helitrans Co. Inc. |
| Registration: | N230CA |
| MSN: | 2779 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3971 hours |
| Engine model: | Rolls-Royce 250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | New Orleans, Louisiana -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, LA (BTR/KBTR) |
| Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, LA (BTR/KBTR) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The 514-hour commercial pilot was conducting a photo mission with three passengers onboard in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. While orbiting a neighborhood at an altitude of approximately 500 feet above ground level at 40 knots, the helicopter suddenly pitched-up and entered an uncommanded right spin. The pilot applied left anti-torque pedal, but there was no response. He then lowered the nose and followed the right turn. In an attempt to stop the rotation, the pilot lowered the collective and this appeared to help. But then the pilot saw a row of power lines in front of him, so he pulled back on the cyclic and up on the collective to clear them. The helicopter subsequently turned 180 degrees and impacted the roof of a house, where it came to rest. The pilot and the passengers reported that a military Black Hawk helicopter was hovering above them as they exited the helicopter, and assisted in their recovery. The operator was concerned that the Black Hawk's proximity to the helicopter may have caused excessive downwash, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. However, the pilot said that he had seen many military helicopters operating in the area and was unable to confirm that the Black Hawk had contributed to the accident and was unsure as to what caused the loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control after encountering a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB DFW05LA239
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Oct-2022 15:56 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation