ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 227531
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| Date: | Tuesday 23 July 2019 |
| Time: | 13:06 |
| Type: |  Bell UH-1H |
| Owner/operator: | Kishugu Aviation |
| Registration: | ZS-HLJ |
| MSN: | 8800 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Waterval Base, near Tzaneen, Limpopo -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Letaba Air Base |
| Letaba Air Base | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On Tuesday 23 July 2019, two Bell UH-1H helicopters with registration marks ZS-HLJ and ZU-LCY, as well as a Spotter aircraft, a Cessna 182, were dispatched to a fire-fighting mission at Woodbush Forest Reserve near Tzaneen. Each aircraft dispatched with a pilot on-board. The ZS-HLJ pilot reported that after turning on course for Woodbush Forest Reserve at approximately 200 feet, he noticed a lack of engine power as the helicopter was struggling to climb. Thereafter, the pilot heard a loud bang coming from the engine compartment. Upon checking the instrument panel, he noted that both the rotor and engine revolutions per minute (rpm) were decreasing and that the master warning light had illuminated. The pilot broadcasted a Mayday call on frequency 123.55 megahertz (MHz) before partially lowering the collective; he further noted that the rotor rpm kept decreasing. The pilot then scanned the area for a possible landing site and identified an open area (to his right). He then fully lowered the collective and continued to descend to undertake a forced landing. The pilot attempted to flare the helicopter to cushion the landing, however, the aircraft landed hard and broke both skids; the main rotor blades severed the upper section of the tail boom. The helicopter sustained substantial damages and the pilot was not injured during the accident sequence.
Probable cause/s
Although the manufacturer’s technical report could not determine the cause of the engine failure, it is probable that the engine was periodically started at high temperature, and as a result of not being monitored during engine start, led to the development of fatigue cracks and the subsequent internal failures.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.facebook.com/374787335874973/posts/2445824118771274/
ex.N205UE, EC-GDO, CC-CME.
https://www.airliners.net/photo/Working-On-Fire/Bell-UH-1H-Iroquois/5001671 (photo)
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Jul-2019 15:45 | Anon. | Added |
| 24-Jul-2019 15:46 | harro | Updated [Operator, Nature, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 24-Jul-2019 16:08 | Geno | Updated [Source] |
| 24-Jul-2019 20:28 | RobertMB | Updated [Cn, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 25-Jul-2019 07:40 | A.J.Scholten | Updated [Source] |
| 29-Jul-2019 11:37 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Phase, Narrative] |
| 22-Sep-2020 10:32 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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