38.8749° N, 76.8796° WPlaced by OpenAirDocs: center of Capitol Heights, MD, within about 6 miles.Open in the map
Date
January 17, 1979 · 10:56 local
Place
Capital Heights, MD
Airport
Private
Phase of flight
Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N16660
Reported as
Bell 206B
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
14,000 total800 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter pilot encountered unforecast freezing rain. Made precautionary landing, struck fence with tail rotor
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER PILOT ENCOUNTERED UNFORECAST FREEZING RAIN. MADE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING, STRUCK FENCE WITH TAIL ROTOR