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.
Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative: The Bell 206B-III aircraft, registration HK-4511, was conducting a flight to transport two passengers from Alfonso Bonilla Aragón Airport (SKCL), Palmira, Valle del Cauca, to Cerro Santa Ana located in the municipality of Cajibío, Cauca department. During the approach to land, a gust of wind forced the pilot to correct the position using the left pedal and gently reduce power with the collective. However, the tail rotor lost effectiveness, the pilot's actions were not successful, and the aircraft lost lift.
As a consequence of the loss of control, the aircraft struck a containment wall adjacent to the heliport and a guard booth next to it. Consequently, it landed abruptly on the ground and came to rest a few meters east of the desired landing point. The pilot performed an emergency shutdown and directed the evacuation of the occupants, who were uninjured. The helicopter suffered substantial damage.
The investigation determined that the accident occurred due to the following probable cause: Crew misjudgment in not adequately identifying the relative wind direction and incorrectly selecting the approach course, which did not allow for a suitable area for a go-around (if needed). This condition allowed the relative wind to impact the aircraft at its critical azimuth, resulting in a loss of directional control (loss of tail rotor effectiveness) and subsequent impact with the terrain.
Contributing factors identified were as follows: Inadequate flight planning by the pilot in not anticipating the threats and risks of the operation, such as wind conditions affecting the approach to a critical field. Inadequate performance in the Loss of Effectiveness emergency, leading the aircraft into extreme controllability conditions. Deficient operational standards of the operator that did not allow for anticipating the operation's inherent risks in a critical heliport. Incorrect installation of the wind vane at the landing site, which could provide inaccurate indications.