# Accident 19890412007809A: Bell 206B, Airville, PA, April 12, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 12, 1989, 09:44 local time
- Place: Airville, PA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.8199° N, 76.3905° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8199&lon=-76.3905&mi=10
- Aircraft: N157P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N157P-1989-06-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206B (registry code 1181511, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206B
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 3,283 total, 719 in this make and model, 62 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC89GA116](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC89GA116) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890412007809A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

FLEW INTO A POWERLINE ON A POLICE PATROL WHILE LOOKING FOR SUICIDE VICTIM IN A RIVER. WIRES AND POLES NOT VISIBLE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC89GA116](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC89GA116), Apr 12, 1989: Bell 206B (N157P), Airville, PA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO SEE AND AVOID THE UNMARKED POWER LINES STRETCHED ACROSS THE RIVER. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF VISUAL CLUES.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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