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19950920032669A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 206L · Ware, IL · September 20, 1995

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 20, 1995 · 04:20 local
Place
Ware, IL
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
DFMA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2777W
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI95LA327
Reported as
Bell 206L
Reported engine
Allison 250C28B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,290 total3,131 in this make and model78 in the last 90 days
N2777WRegistration cancelled Aug 7, 1996 · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45441Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1

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.

Encountered weather en route to accident scene. Began 180 to return VFR. Lost control. Unable timely change to IFR. (-23) on September 20, 1995 at approximately 0400 CDT, Bell helicopter N2777W, with three (3) persons aboard, departed southeast Missouri hospital, cape griardeau, MO on a FAR part 135 air ambulance flight. The flight was dispatched to pick up a vehicle accident victim at a remote site in southern Illinois. While enroute, the pilot stated that he encountered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and had decided to return to his departure point. The pilot then stated that he entered a left turn and was unable to transition to instrument flight. He stated that he lost control of the aircraft and saw the ground just prior to impact. The aircraft impacted the ground in a level pitch attitude causing substantial damage to the aircraft. The pilot, flight nurse and flight medic received minor injuries. There were no other injuries to any persons on the ground or other property damage.

As the FAA filed it

ENCOUNTERED WEATHER EN ROUTE TO ACCIDENT SCENE. BEGAN 180 TO RETURN VFR. LOST CONTROL. UNABLE TIMELY CHANGE TO IFR. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 20, 1995 AT APPROXIMATELY 0400 CDT, BELL HELICOPTER N2777W, WITH THREE (3) PERSONS ABOARD, DEPARTED SOUTHEAST MISSOURI HOSPITAL, CAPE GRIARDEAU, MO ON A FAR PART 135 AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT WAS DISPATCHED TO PICK UP A VEHICLE ACCIDENT VICTIM AT A REMOTE SITE IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. WHILE ENROUTE, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HAD DECIDED TO RETURN TO HIS DEPARTURE POINT. THE PILOT THEN STATED THAT HE ENTERED A LEFT TURN AND WAS UNABLE TO TRANSITION TO INSTRUMENT FLIGHT. HE STATED THAT HE LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SAW THE GROUND JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A LEVEL PITCH ATTITUDE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT, FLIGHT NURSE AND FLIGHT MEDIC RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THERE WERE NO OTHER INJURIES TO ANY PERSONS ON THE GROUND OR OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE.

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 CHI95LA327Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWare, ILthe pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter. A factor in the accident was the pilot's inadvertent VFR flight into IMC conditions.Sep 20, 1995 · Substantial damage