19950503048459A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206B3 · Hamilton, MA · May 3, 1995

Date: May 3, 1995 · 21:30 local
Place: Hamilton, MA
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N219CT
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC95LA101
Reported as: Bell 206B3
Fatal injuries: 0

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.

(-16) Attempting take-off; destinatin beverly airport on take-off, rotor blades struck tree branches. Approx height 50'. Attempted auto-rotation and fwd movement. Landed on side in field (pasture land). Private property, minor injuries to pilot ( dislocated rt. Shoulder). Helicopter sustained substantial damage. Approximate time of accident, 21:33 local time. No passengers on board.

As the FAA filed it

(-16) ATTEMPTING TAKE-OFF; DESTINATIN BEVERLY AIRPORT ON TAKE-OFF, ROTOR BLADES STRUCK TREE BRANCHES. APPROX HEIGHT 50'. ATTEMPTED AUTO-ROTATION AND FWD MOVEMENT. LANDED ON SIDE IN FIELD (PASTURE LAND). PRIVATE PROPERTY, MINOR INJURIES TO PILOT ( DISLOCATED RT. SHOULDER). HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. APPROXIMATE TIME OF ACCIDENT, 21:33 LOCAL TIME. NO PASSENGERS ON BOARD.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC95LA101Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHamilton, MAthe pilot's improper decision to fly at night with a night vision deficiency, and his failure to maintain clearance with trees during takeoff, which resulted in an in-flight collision with the trees and the subsequent hard landing.May 4, 1995 · Substantial damage