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19980111000249A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell 222UT · Sandy, UT · January 11, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
January 11, 1998 · 22:50 local
Place
Sandy, UT
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
QMLA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N222UH
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW98FA093
Reported as
Bell 222UT
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
4
Pilot’s flight hours
6,257 total318 in this make and model42 in the last 90 days
N222UHRegistration cancelled Jul 28, 1998 · Bell 222UTS/N 47545Airframe modelBell 222UT

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.

(.4)The hospital helicopter was dispatched to transport a skier, who had been injured in an avalanche. Snow was not falling when the helicopter departed the hospital, but there were 'gusty winds and light to moderate snow' during arrival at the landing zone. The dispatcher telephoned the pilot (using a cellular phone) to advise him that hospital weather conditions had deteriorated due to a fast moving front. She said it was 'snowing really hard,' the winds were gusting to 37 knots, and visibility was less than 300 feet (she could not see a wing of the hospital on the closed circuit television monitor, and could barely distinguish the helipad). A sheriff's deputy said that the helicopter took off from the landing zone in 'blizzard conditions' and circled the landing zone, then turned north and disappeared from view. Seconds later, a deputy heard 'a slight muffled boom. . . The weather had grown steadily worse and the snow was falling very heavily.' Later, the helicopter was found where it had impacted mountainous terrain in a canyon area. Several tree tops were severed when the helicopter crashed. (-23)ptrs number NM079808321

As the FAA filed it

(.4)THE HOSPITAL HELICOPTER WAS DISPATCHED TO TRANSPORT A SKIER, WHO HAD BEEN INJURED IN AN AVALANCHE. SNOW WAS NOT FALLING WHEN THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED THE HOSPITAL, BUT THERE WERE 'GUSTY WINDS AND LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW' DURING ARRIVAL AT THE LANDING ZONE. THE DISPATCHER TELEPHONED THE PILOT (USING A CELLULAR PHONE) TO ADVISE HIM THAT HOSPITAL WEATHER CONDITIONS HAD DETERIORATED DUE TO A FAST MOVING FRONT. SHE SAID IT WAS 'SNOWING REALLY HARD,' THE WINDS WERE GUSTING TO 37 KNOTS, AND VISIBILITY WAS LESS THAN 300 FEET (SHE COULD NOT SEE A WING OF THE HOSPITAL ON THE CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION MONITOR, AND COULD BARELY DISTINGUISH THE HELIPAD). A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY SAID THAT THE HELICOPTER TOOK OFF FROM THE LANDING ZONE IN 'BLIZZARD CONDITIONS' AND CIRCLED THE LANDING ZONE, THEN TURNED NORTH AND DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW. SECONDS LATER, A DEPUTY HEARD 'A SLIGHT MUFFLED BOOM. . . THE WEATHER HAD GROWN STEADILY WORSE AND THE SNOW WAS FALLING VERY HEAVILY.' LATER, THE HELICOPTER WAS FOUND WHERE IT HAD IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN A CANYON AREA. SEVERAL TREE TOPS WERE SEVERED WHEN THE HELICOPTER CRASHED. (-23)PTRS NUMBER NM079808321

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 FTW98FA093Accident · 4 fatalField investigationFinal reportSandy, UTflight by the pilot into known adverse weather conditions, and his failure (or inability) to maintain sufficient clearance or altitude from mountainous terrain. Related factors were: darkness, heavy snow, high winds, the pilot's perception of pressure that…Jan 12, 1998 · Destroyed

Other reports on N222UH · 3

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

Incident 19920628054889IDescent · Scipio, UTEncountered clear air turbulence on descent to pick up patient. Damage to aircraft found after return to base.Jun 28, 1992 · Minor damageIncident 19910530032919IOther Ground Ops · Draper, UTLanded at night on road. Trucks providing landing light. For rescue operation. Damaged tail rotor on sign.May 30, 1991 · Minor damageIncident 19881105062659IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Salt Lake City, UTNR1 hydraulic system failed. Loss of power to tail rotor control. Emergency landing. Chaffed line caused fluid lossNov 5, 1988