History of Flight
On 3 October 2018, a Pawan Hans Limited Bell 206 L4 helicopter, registration VT-PHD, was conducting a search and rescue flight in the Kurgiakh area. The pilot-in-command, a Commercial Pilot License (Helicopter) holder with 5439 hours total flying experience, including 2491 hours on type, and three passengers from the Jammu and Kashmir government were on board. The helicopter departed from Padum at 1250 hours IST. While returning, the pilot observed a party of three persons and decided to land at Kurgiakh village. After a high and low recce, the pilot terminated the approach into a hover in ground effect. During the touchdown process, a "THUD" sound was heard, and a dark fabric-like object was seen on the left side. The helicopter yawed to the right. The pilot reduced collective pitch and landed hard on a flat mountain terrace. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and skids. There was no injury to any person.
Helicopter Information
The accident helicopter was a Bell 206 L4, manufactured in 1995, owned and operated by Pawan Hans Limited. It was not fitted with the high-altitude tail rotor kit. The all-up weight (AUW) for the flight was 1731 kgs. The manufacturer limits the maximum AUW to 1882 kgs for altitudes above 10,000 feet density altitude for standard helicopters, but helicopters with the high-altitude tail rotor kit can be loaded up to 2019 kgs. The helicopter's last inspection was on 15 September 2018, and it had accumulated 7999 hours 40 minutes total time.
Damage and Injuries
Both skids buckled sideways and cross tubes bowed down, reducing ground clearance. The tail boom was dented and cracked at two places and buckled downward. Both tail rotor blades were sheared off about 150 mm from the tip. No injuries to the crew or passengers were reported.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined the probable cause: "During hover, prior to landing in valley, the helicopter had suffered avoidable loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE), which PIC could not control effectively resulting in severe heavy landing."