ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 254052
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| Date: | Wednesday 28 April 2021 |
| Time: | 13:24 |
| Type: |  Bell 429 GlobalRanger |
| Owner/operator: | Duke Energy Business Services LLC |
| Registration: | N53DE |
| MSN: | 57380 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2019 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 265 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207D1 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Eden, NC -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Calibration/Inspection |
| Departure airport: | Danville Municipal Airport, VA (DAN/KDAN) |
| Burlington Alamance Regional Airport, NC (KBUY) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On April 28, 2021, about 1324 eastern standard time, a Bell 429 helicopter, N53DE, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Eden, North Carolina. The commercial pilot was fatally injured, and two passengers were seriously injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight.
The helicopter departed and flew cross-country to begin a powerline patrol, which included flying adjacent to powerlines at an altitude of about 100 ft above ground level and with the helicopter gaining altitude during turns and when flying between line inspections.
During the final minutes of flight, the helicopter was traveling at an airspeed between 50 and 60 kts along powerlines at an altitude between 700 and 775 ft above mean sea level (msl). As the helicopter flew south, near the end of the north-south powerline’s right of way, the helicopter began a climbing right turn towards the west. A utility lineman in the helicopter’s front left seat recalled that the pilot was reversing course and the helicopter was in a banking turn to the right when he heard a very loud noise, “almost cannon-like, very deep, within a second or two we were heading into the trees.” Onboard data recovered from the helicopter showed rotor speed suddenly increased to 107% about 1.5 seconds before the end of recorded data. Examination of the wreckage showed evidence the main rotor blades impacted the tail rotor drive system. Therefore, it is likely the loud noise heard by the onboard lineman was caused by the main rotor blades impacting the tail rotor drive system, resulting in a severance of the tail rotor drive shaft and subsequently a loss of directional control. Successful recovery of the helicopter after the loss directional control at a low altitude was unlikely and resulted in impact with terrain. Based on analysis of flight data and a scan of the local terrain, it is unlikely the helicopter impacted powerlines or nearby trees at the time the main rotor blades impacted the tail rotor drive system.The loss of clearance between the main rotor and the tail of the helicopter can be caused by sudden aft cyclic control inputs, usually in conjunction with a reduction in collective pitch that would reduce main rotor thrust and increase downward flapping of the blade. The lack of flight control parametric data precluded analysis of flight control inputs at the time the main rotor blade contacted the tail boom. However, it is likely the pilot was not maneuvering to avoid trees based on the increasing distance between the accident helicopter and treetops near the end of the accident flight. Examinations of the helicopter wreckage found no evidence of any preimpact anomalies or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter.
Probable Cause: The impact of the main rotor blades with the tail boom during low-altitude maneuvers, which severed the tail rotor drive shaft and resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.wxii12.com/article/eden-helicopter-crash-investigation-deputies/36279810#
https://myfox8.com/news/helicopter-crashes-near-intersection-of-south-edgewood-road-rosewood-lane-in-eden/
https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/emergency-crews-respond-to-aircraft-crash-in-eden/83-0fd74bbc-7a7a-4586-a133-8888f34b7a7c
https://greensboro.com/community/rockingham_now/news/officials-pilot-killed-2-others-on-board-injured-after-duke-energy-helicopter-crashes-in-eden/article_d50ed05a-a851-11eb-8b51-4bb1cf902d49.html
https://www.wbtv.com/2021/04/28/duke-energy-helicopter-crashes-north-carolina
https://www.wral.com/pilot-dies-after-duke-energy-helicopter-crashes-on-eden-street/19650676/
NTSB
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102994
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a6ae64&lat=36.402&lon=-79.590&zoom=9.8&showTrace=2021-04-28
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N53DE
https://www.aeroboek.nl/429/57380_N53DE_1C.png (photo)
Location
Images:
Media:
NTSB is investigating the April 28, 2021, crash of a Bell 429 helicopter near Eden, NC. NTSB investigator expected to arrive on scene Thurs., April 29, 2021.
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) April 28, 2021
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Apr-2021 23:31 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 28-Apr-2021 23:54 | Geno | Updated [Source, Embed code] |
| 29-Apr-2021 03:11 | Captain Adam | Updated [Total fatalities, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 29-Apr-2021 07:05 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 29-Apr-2021 15:57 | harro | Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Source] |
| 29-Apr-2021 15:57 | harro | Updated [[Time, Registration, Cn, Source]] |
| 30-Apr-2021 05:19 | RobertMB | Updated [Operator, Source] |
| 01-May-2021 16:06 | aaronwk | Updated [Operator] |
| 30-Aug-2023 21:13 | Captain Adam | Updated [[Operator]] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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