# Accident 19970423006459A: Bell 206L1, Trindad, CO, April 23, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 23, 1997
- Place: Trindad, CO
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Location: 37.1598° N, 104.5000° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.1598&lon=-104.5000&mi=10
- Aircraft: N618DE (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97TA165](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97TA165) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970423006459A

## Narrative

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

HELICOPTER WAS IN VOLVED IN PLOWERLINE PATROL WHEN THE TAIL ROTOR FAILED.

## 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 FTW97TA165](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97TA165), Apr 23, 1997: Bell 206-L1 (N618DE), Trinidad, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter due to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. A factor was the tailwind condition and the pilot's failure to maintain proper airspeed.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.