# Accident 19960904045199A: Bell 206L3, Sheridan, WY, September 4, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 4, 1996, 14:00 local time
- Place: Sheridan, WY
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.7908° N, 106.9498° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.7908&lon=-106.9498&mi=10
- Aircraft: N253EV (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L3
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C30P
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 6,473 total, 890 in this make and model, 130 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA96TA207](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA96TA207) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960904045199A

## Narrative

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

FOREST FIRE WATER BUCKET FLIGHT. BEGAN RIGHT SPIN. DUMPED LOAD. AUTOROTATED INTO TREES. LOST TAIL ROTOR EFFECT.

## 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 SEA96TA207](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA96TA207), Sep 4, 1996: Bell 206L-3 (N253EV), Sheridan, WY, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision, concerning maneuvers to position the helicopter for aerial application; and inadvertent loss of tail rotor effectiveness, which resulted in loss of…

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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