# Accident 19990213001319A: Bolkms BK117B1, Hockley, TX, February 13, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 13, 1999, 16:45 local time - Place: Hockley, TX - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Vertical (Helicopter Only) - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: GVNA - Location: 30.0409° N, 95.8105° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.0409&lon=-95.8105&mi=10 - Aircraft: N220HH (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: BOLKMS BK117B1 - Reported engine: LYC LTS101750B1 - People aboard: 5 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 6,732 total, 3,026 in this make and model, 51 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99LA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA080) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990213001319A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. HERMANN HOSPITAL AIR AMBULANCE (1989 MESSERSCHMITT BK-117 B-1 HELICOPTER) STRUCK POWER LINES ON LIFT OFF SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND SETTLED BACK TO THE SURFACE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED TO THE 5 POB. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. ON FEBRUARY 13,1999, AT 1645 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A EUROCOPTER BK 117 B-1 HELICOPTER, N220HH, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED POWER LINES DURING TAKEOFF CLUMB NEAR HOCKLEY, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE TWO MEDICAL CREWMEMBERS, AND THE TWO PREVIOUSLY INJURED PATIENTS DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 135 AIR MEDICAL TRANSPORT FLIGHT DESTINED FOR THE HERMAN HOSPITAL OF HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO MEMORIAL HERMAN HOSPITAL SYSTEM OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND OPERATED BY HERMAN HOSPITAL, LIFE FLIGHT. THE HELICOPTER WAS PART OF TWO AIRCRAFT TEAM THAT WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE OF AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT NEAR HOCKLEY, TEXAS. DURING THE APPROACH FOR LANDING ON HIGHWAY 6, THE PILOT NOTICED POWER LINES IN THE AREA, HOWEVER, HE DID NOT CONSIDER THEM TO BE AN UNUSUAL HAZARD AT THE TIME. AFTER THE PATIENTS WERE LOADED IN THE HELICOPTER, THE PILOT TOOK OFF AND IMPACTED THE POWER LINES. THE PILOT MENTIONED THAT HE FELT A LIGHT SHUTTER BUT NO LOSS OF CONTROL AND SET THE HELICOPTER BACK DOWN IN A FIELD ADJACENT TO THE ROAD. ANOTHER HELICOPTER WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT AND TRANSPORTED THE PATIENTS TO THE HOSPITAL. INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER BY A CERTIFIED MECHANIC REVEALED THAT THE UNDERSIDES OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE DAMAGED AND THAT TWO OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE DESTROYED. NOTIFICATION FROM THE HOUSTON ELECTRIC COMPANY REVEALED THAT FOUR PRIMARY DISTRIBUTION CABLES 5/8THS OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER WERE SEVERED INTERRUPTING ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE LOCAL AREA. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED APPROXIMATELY 3,026 HOURS IN THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT. (FROM .4) THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED POWER LINES WHILE DEPARTING FROM AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE HELICOPTER WAS PART OF A TWO AIRCRAFT TEAM DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE OF THE AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT. DURING THE LANDING APPROACH, THE PILOT NOTICED THE POWER LINES RUNNING PARALLEL TO THE ROAD; HOWEVER, HE DID NOT CONSIDER THEM TO BE AN UNUSUAL HAZARD AT THE TIME. AFTER THE PASSENGERS WERE LOADED IN TO THE HELICOPTER, THE PILOT TOOK OFF, DRIFTED TOWARD THE WIRES, AND IMPACTED THE POWER LINES. THE PILOT THEN LANDED THE HELICOPTER IN AN ADJACENT FIELD. THE PILOT STATED THAT AT THE TIME THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE WIRES 'THE SUN WAS SHINING DIRECTLY INTO THE AIRCRAFT' AND THAT 'TRASH WAS BLOWING AROUND.' ANOTHER HELICOPTER WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT TO TRANSPORT THE PATIENTS TO THE HOSPITAL. (-23)AFTER LIFT OFF, AIRCRAFT STRUCK POWERLINES. PILOT MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND LANDED SAFETY. NO INJURIES INCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY. ## 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 FTW99LA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA080), Feb 13, 1999: Eurocopter BK 117 B-1 (N220HH), Hockley, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the power lines. A factor was the sunglare reducing the pilot's visibility. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.