# Accident 19960618014259A: Bell 212, Pagosa Springs, CO, June 18, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 18, 1996, 15:48 local time
- Place: Pagosa Springs, CO
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Hovering
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: CUCL
- Location: 37.2408° N, 107.0297° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.2408&lon=-107.0297&mi=10
- Aircraft: N91AL, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N91AL-2013-05-17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 212 (registry code 1181420, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-212) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: U/A Canada PT6T series (registry code 61550, https://openairdocs.org/engine/u-a-canada-pt6t-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 212
- Reported engine: PWA PT6T3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 8,800 total, 150 in this make and model, 47 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW96TA261](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW96TA261) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960618014259A

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN FIRE FIGHTING ACTIVITIES WHEN IT CRASHED. PUBLIC USE AIRCRAFT.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             (.4) DURING SUPPORT OF FOREST FIRE FIGHTING OPERATIONS, THE HELICOPTER WAS CONDUCTING WATER DROPS AND WAS ON IT'S FIFTH DROP OF THE FLIGHT. WHILE PROCEEDING UPSLOPE AND DOWN WIND, AT NEAR MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT FOR HOVER OUT OF GROUND EFFECT, THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SETTLE.  THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO JETTISON THE WATER LOAD AND REVERSE COURSE.  JETTISONING WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND THE HELICOPTER SETTLED INTO TREES IN THE FIRE ZONE.  THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM IMPACT AND POST IMPACT FIRE.  DURING TRANSPORT TO STORAGE BY ANOTHER HELICOPTER, USING A LONG LINE, THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS DROPPED FROM APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET, RESULTING IN TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT.

## 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 FTW96TA261](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW96TA261), Jun 18, 1996: Bell 212 (N91AL), Pagosa Springs, CO, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to comply with performance data for hover out of ground effect. A factor was not attaining load jettison.

## Other reports on N91AL (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19910418024429I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910418024429I), Apr 18, 1991: Bell 212 (N91AL), Gulf Of Mexico, LA. Loss of hydraulic pressure over Gulf Of Mexico. Flew to houma airport. Made a running landing on runway 12.

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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