# Accident 19980724017669A: Bell 206L3, Lufkin, TX, July 24, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 24, 1998, 16:30 local time
- Place: Lufkin, TX
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.8595° N, 94.9807° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.8595&lon=-94.9807&mi=10
- Aircraft: N42489, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N42489-2007-04-25) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206L-3 (registry code 1182108, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206l-3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C30 series (registry code 03015, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c30-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98TA328](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98TA328) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980724017669A

## Narrative

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

ACFT LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A POND. (-23) A BELL 206 L-3 HELICOPTER WAS FIRE FIGHTING IN VICINITY OF HIGHWAY 204 RECLAW, TEXAS APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES EAST OF JACKSONVILLE, TEXAS. HELICOPTER WAS ATTEMPTING TO LIFT WATER WITH "BAMBI" BUCKET (144 GAL) FROM LOCAL POND ON FLYING "M" RANCH WHEN BUCKET CABLES BECAME ENTANGLED ON LEFT SKID DURING LIFT OFF. THE RESULT DURING LIFT OFF WAS A DYNAMIC ROLL OVER. THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT IS SUBSTANTIAL. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR SCRAPES AND BRUISES. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 1630 HOURS ON 24TH JULY 1998.

## 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 FTW98TA328](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98TA328), Jul 24, 1998: Bell 206L-3 (N42489), Reklaw, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain proper alignment in that the external load was not centered during sling operation, which resulted in entanglement of the load with the landing gear, and the loss of…

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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