RED ROCK, AZ, USA
N302PS
BELL 206L-1
REPORTEDLY, THE PLT ELECTED TO LAND IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA IN CALM WIND CONDITIONS. AT AN ESTIMATED DISTANCE OF 350 FT & AN ALT OF APRX 75 FT ABOVE THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE, THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER BEGAN A GRADUAL LEFT TURN AS THE PLT APPLIED COLLECTIVE PITCH. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, HE NOTED THAT THE TURBINE OUTLET TEMP (TOT) WAS RISING & THE MAIN ROTOR RPM WAS DECAYING. THERE WAS A DEEP GORGE AHEAD, SO HE MADE A LEFT CYCLIC TURN & LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REACH A CLEARING. AS HE ATTEMPTED TO STABILIZE THE HELICOPTER, IT STARTED TO ROTATE TO THE RIGHT & THE ROTOR LOW RPM WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER SETTLED INTO A JUNIPER TREE & ROLLED OVER ONTO ITS SIDE. THE AIR TEMP & ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WERE 24 DEG FAHRENHEIT & 7150 FT, RESPECTIVELY. A FUNCTIONAL TEST OF THE ENG REVEALED THAT IT WOULD OPERATE WITHIN ITS LIMITS. THE CONTROL CONTINUITY COULD NOT BE ESTIMATED DUE TO SEPARATION OF THE TAIL BOOM PUSH-PULL TUBE. REPORTEDLY, THE MAIN ROTOR & ENG RPM NEEDLES HAD REMAINED JOINED.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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