Accident Bell 206B VH-HPO, Wednesday 16 January 1991
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Date:Wednesday 16 January 1991
Time:11:43
Type:Silhouette image of generic B06 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Bell 206B
Owner/operator:
Registration: VH-HPO
MSN: 3349
Year of manufacture:1981
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Heron Island, QLD -   Australia
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:Heron Island, QLD
Destination airport:Gladstone, QLD
Investigating agency: BASI
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported he heard a loud bang and the helicopter immediately yawed to the right. The pilot deployed the helicopter's emergency floats and conducted a successful autorotational forced landing on the water. A subsequent investigation revealed that the main rotor tie-down had not been stowed properly in the rear locker and became entangled around the tail boom and tail rotor. The tail rotor drive shaft was subsequently sheared.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: BASI
Report number: 199102505
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 2 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1991/aair/aair199102505/
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/31641/aair199102505.pdf

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

7 October 2014 VH-CLR Great Barrier Reef Helicopter Tours 0 9km south-east of Cooktown Airport, (Mount Cook), Qld sub

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
19-Feb-2018 08:39 Pineapple Added

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

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