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19980525010489A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell 206L-3 · Monroe, NC · May 25, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 25, 1998 · 00:32 local
Place
Monroe, NC
Airport
Monroe Airport
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
USXR
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N96CW
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL98FA080
Reported as
Bell 206L3
Reported engine
Allison 250C30P
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
5
Pilot’s flight hours
5,300 total262 in this make and model
N96CWRegistration cancelled Jan 12, 2000 · Bell 206L-3S/N 51286Airframe modelBell 206L-3

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.

Flying in fog 150FT AGL struck static ground wire of a power line. Crashed onto highway. (.4) according to us helicopters, inc., the pilot was conducting passenger transport from the charlotte motor speedway to various destinations in the charlotte area. The pilot was on his last trip of the day, and departed the speedway with four passengers on board destined for the Monroe Airport. Prior to departing the speedway, the pilot informed a co-worker that weather at the time was VFR with 3 miles visibility. According to the co-worker, the pilot had last reported that he was proceeding east along highway 74, about 0025. Witnesses, in the immediate area, said they observed the helicopter flying low, in fog, with its lights on. The report from the Monroe ASOS (automatic surface observation system) located on Monroe Airport was 300 feet overcast sky condition, 1.75 miles visibility in mist. At about 0032 the helicopters skids contacted a high-tension static ground wire about 150 feet above the ground.

As the FAA filed it

FLYING IN FOG 150FT AGL STRUCK STATIC GROUND WIRE OF A POWER LINE. CRASHED ONTO HIGHWAY. (.4) ACCORDING TO US HELICOPTERS, INC., THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING PASSENGER TRANSPORT FROM THE CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY TO VARIOUS DESTINATIONS IN THE CHARLOTTE AREA. THE PILOT WAS ON HIS LAST TRIP OF THE DAY, AND DEPARTED THE SPEEDWAY WITH FOUR PASSENGERS ON BOARD DESTINED FOR THE MONROE AIRPORT. PRIOR TO DEPARTING THE SPEEDWAY, THE PILOT INFORMED A CO-WORKER THAT WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS VFR WITH 3 MILES VISIBILITY. ACCORDING TO THE CO-WORKER, THE PILOT HAD LAST REPORTED THAT HE WAS PROCEEDING EAST ALONG HIGHWAY 74, ABOUT 0025. WITNESSES, IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA, SAID THEY OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER FLYING LOW, IN FOG, WITH ITS LIGHTS ON. THE REPORT FROM THE MONROE ASOS (AUTOMATIC SURFACE OBSERVATION SYSTEM) LOCATED ON MONROE AIRPORT WAS 300 FEET OVERCAST SKY CONDITION, 1.75 MILES VISIBILITY IN MIST. AT ABOUT 0032 THE HELICOPTERS SKIDS CONTACTED A HIGH-TENSION STATIC GROUND WIRE ABOUT 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND.

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 ATL98FA080Accident · 5 fatalField investigationFinal reportIndian Trail, NCThe pilot's failure to maintain altitude while operating in adverse weather. A contributing factor was the incoming fog and high tension static wire.May 25, 1998 · Destroyed