# Accident 19971218039109A: Bell 206B, Reserve, NM, December 18, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 18, 1997, 16:25 local time
- Place: Reserve, NM
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: PBKA
- Location: 33.7000° N, 108.7603° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7000&lon=-108.7603&mi=10
- Aircraft: N124DA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N124DA-1999-01-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206B (registry code 1181511, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206B
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 11,810 total, 3,500 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98TA072](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98TA072) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971218039109A

## Narrative

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

LOST TAIL ROTOR EFFECT WHILE OBSERVING A HERD OF ELK AT 8500FT. AUTOROTATED TO GROUND IMPACT. (.4) THE HELICOPTER WAS UNDER CONTRACT BY THE NEW MEXICO GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ELK HERD EVALUATION. THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT PASSENGER SAID THAT THEY WERE FLYING NORTHBOUND, APPROXIMATELY 180 TO 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, IN AN ATTEMPT TO SPLIT A HEARD OF ELK, FOR COUNTING PURPOSES. HE SAID THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS TRAVELING AT LESS THAN 10 KNOTS, THE PILOT INITIATED A TURN, AND WITHIN 3 TO 5 SECONDS, THEY ROTATED TO THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THEY WERE TRAVELING NORTH AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL AND APPROXIMATELY 30 KNOTS WHEN HE INITIATED THE RIGHT TURN. HE FURTHER STATED THAT 'ONCE THE TURN GOT STARTED, I COULDN'T STOP IT, EVEN WITH FULL LEFT PEDAL.' THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE BELIEVED THE WIND WAS FROM THE WEST AT APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 KNOTS (THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED TO BE 9,043 FEET). HE SAID THAT WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED, 'I HEARD NOTHING UNUSUAL NOR FELT ANYTHING.' ACCORDING TO FAA AC 90-95, UNANTICIPATED RIGHT YAW CAN BE BROUGHT ABOUT BY LOW AIRSPEEDS, HIGH POWER REGIMES, LEFT CROSSWINDS OR TAILWINDS, AND RIGHT TURNING MANEUVERS.   (-23) ON DECEMBER 18, 1997, APPROXIMATELY 1625 MST, A BELL 206B HELICOPTER, N124DA, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING IMPACT WITH THE GROUND FOLLOWING WHAT THE PILOT REPORTED AS "LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS" NEAR RESERVE, N.M. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND 1 PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES; A SECOND PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED.

## 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 FTW98TA072](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98TA072), Dec 18, 1997: Bell 206B-III (N124DA), Reserve, NM, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadvertent loss of tail rotor effectiveness. A factor was the high density altitude weather condition.

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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