NTSB CAROL · Event
Event SEA90FA079
Registry · N53MA
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
BELL 206B
Year of manufacture
1977 · 13 years old at event
TCDS
H2SW · BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA LTD
Engine
ROLLS-ROYC 250-C20B (420 hp)
Seats / Engines
5 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20060629
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A6AF28
Registrant of record
AG AIR INC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM, AND A DELAY BY THE FAA INSPECTOR (FLIGHT EXAMINER) IN TAKING REMEDICAL ACTION.
Factual narrative
THE PILOT (PIC) AND AN FAA INSPECTOR (CHECK PLT) WERE ON A COMBINED FLT INSTRUCTOR & FAR PART 135 CHECK FLT. THE CHECK PLT INSTRUCTED THE PIC TO EXECUTE A SIMULATED FIXED-TAIL ROTOR FAILURE; THE CHECK PLT SIMULATED THE FAILURE BY HOLDING THE RGT PEDAL SLIGHTLY IN, WHILE THE PIC REMOVED HIS FEET FROM THE PEDALS. THE PIC INITIATED A RUN-ON LANDING WITH AN ESTIMATED 10 DEG RGT YAW. HE RPRTD THAT JUST BEFORE LANDING, AT ABOUT 5 MPH & 2 FT AGL, THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO YAW FURTHER TO THE RIGHT. HE RETARDED THE THROTTLE TO ALIGN THE HELICOPTER WITH THE GND TRACK & INCREASED THE COLLECTIVE TO CUSHION THE LANDING. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN FIRMLY. NO PROBLEM WITH HELICOPTER WAS NOTED AT THAT TIME; HOWEVER, AFTER THE FLT, WRINKLES WERE NOTED ON THE TAIL BOOM, SIMILAR TO THOSE DEPICTED IN BELL OPNS SAFETY NOTICE (OSN) 206-84-13. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1990_SEA90FA079.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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