What happened
After landing a Bell 2-06B JetRanger at a private campground near Nordegg, Alberta, the pilot decided to leave the engine running to save time while attending to personal business. The pilot exited the aircraft, leaving a fixed-wing pilot—who was not qualified on helicopters—in the left seat to hold the controls steady.
While the pilot was away from the aircraft, the helicopter began to rock violently fore and aft, accompanied by a loud clunking sound. The main rotor disc tilted to an extreme forward position. The pilot returned to the cockpit and attempted to stabilize the aircraft by adjusting the collective and rotor speed. However, the oscillations intensified as weight was reduced on the skids. The pilot eventually shut down the engine, but a loud noise was heard as the rotor brake was applied. There were no injuries to the four occupants.
The investigation
The investigation examined the mechanical state of the aircraft and the decision-making process of the crew. Investigators found that the helicopter had been maintained according to regulations and that no pre-existing mechanical discrepancies were identified. However, the examination revealed that the swashplate drive collar set and both main rotor pitch links had fractured due to overload. Additionally, the transmission isolation mount, mount plate, and pin assembly showed damage consistent with severe mast bumping.
Investigators also reviewed the pilot's flight itinerary, noting it was incomplete and contained outdated information, which could have hindered search efforts had an emergency occurred. The investigation also looked into the pilot's decision to leave the engine running, noting that while the pilot had experience exiting running helicopters during training, he had not done so on this specific type of flight before.
Findings
- The pilot-in-command chose to leave the engine running while the aircraft was unattended by a qualified helicopter pilot.
- The fixed-wing pilot applied an inappropriate corrective action by moving the cyclic forward to counteract rotor flapping, which induced severe mast bumping.
- The swashplate collar set failed due to overload caused by contact between the swashplate and the cowling.
- The pilot's flight itinerary lacked necessary details regarding intermediate stops.
Safety action
Following the incident, the operator issued a directive stating that a qualified helicopter pilot must occupy a flight control seat at all times while the engine is running. The directive explicitly prohibits the pilot-in-command from disembarking while the engine is running unless these qualification requirements are met.