# Accident 19980518009909A: Bell 206L, Arlington Heigh, IL, May 18, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 18, 1998, 13:51 local time
- Place: Arlington Heigh, IL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.0592° N, 87.9909° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.0592&lon=-87.9909&mi=10
- Aircraft: N41BL, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N41BL-1998-07-21) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206L (registry code 1181522, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206l) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C28B
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 4
- Pilot flight hours: 5,300 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 36 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98FA159](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98FA159) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980518009909A

## Narrative

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

DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT. IMPACTED A RESIDENCE GARAGE. STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN AREA. (.4)A WITNESS OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER FLY OVER HIS APARTMENT BUILDING WITHIN 100 FEET.  HE WATCHED THE HELICOPTER TRAVEL AWAY FROM THE BUILDING ON A SOUTHWESTERLY HEADING IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE.  THE WITNESS ESTIMATED THE HELICOPTER TO BE APPROXIMATELY 350 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND.  THE WITNESS SAID HE SAW THE HELICOPTER BEGIN A SLOW BANKED TURN TO THE LEFT TOWARD A SOUTHERLY HEADING.  THE HELICOPTER BANKED THROUGH 30 DEGREES UP TO 90 DEGREES, THEN IT PITCHED DOWN AND DESCENDED IN A 70 TO 80 DEGREE NOSE-DOWN PITCH ANGLE.  THE WITNESS LOST SIGHT OF THE HELICOPTER WHEN IT DESCENDED BELOW THE TREE TOPS.  ANOTHER WITNESS IN THE SAME BUILDING SAID THAT AS THE HELICOPTER WAS GOING TO THE WEST, IT WAS GETTING CLOSER TO THE TREE TOPS.  THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE HELICOPTER 'BANKED REAL HARD [TO THE] SOUTH, SO THAT THE [MAIN ROTOR] BLADES WERE PERPENDICULAR TO THE GROUND.  THE HELICOPTER WENT STRAIGHT DOWN IN A DIVE, NOSE FIRST.'  THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS ONLY 15 FEET ABOVE THE TREE TOPS WHEN IT DOVE IN.  EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE R                                                                 EVEALED NO ANOMALIES. THE RESULTS OF FAA TOXICOLOGY TESTING OF SPECIMENS FROM THE PILOT REVEALED 0.007 (UG/ML,UG/G0 CHLORPHENIRAMINE DETECTED IN URINE.                                                                         (-23) WHILE CONDUCTING PART 91 AERIAL PHOTO FLIGHT AT LOW ALTITUDE (BELOW 500 FEET AGL IN CONGESTED RESIDENTIAL AREA), THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A SHALLOW LEFT BANK WHICH CONTINUED INTO AN INVERTED CONDITION ON IMPACT WITH A RESIDENTIAL HOUSE. AIRCRAFT IMPACT WAS NEAR VERTICAL (APPROX 63 DEGREES DOWN) - INVERTED- AND WITH A HI "G" FORCE IMPACT SIGNATURE.

## 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 CHI98FA159](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98FA159), May 18, 1998: Bell 206L-1 (N41BL), Arlington Hgts, IL, destroyed, 4 fatal. Probable cause: Loss of helicopter control for unknown reasons.

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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