# Accident 20020216009179A: Bell 206L1, Newsmyrnabeach, FL, February 16, 2002

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 16, 2002, 06:11 local time
- Place: Newsmyrnabeach, FL
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: UVRG
- Location: 28.9900° N, 80.9903° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.9900&lon=-80.9903&mi=10
- Aircraft: N23PJ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N23PJ-2002-11-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 (registry code 1182107, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-textron-206l-1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C28 series (registry code 03022, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c28-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L1
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL02FA048](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL02FA048) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020216009179A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON FEBRUARY 16, 2002, AT 06:11 EST, A BELL 206L-1 HELICOPTER, N23PJ, COLLIDED WITH TREES WHILE MANEUVERING FOR A LANDING AT SPRUCE CREEK AIRPORT NEAR NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FLORIDA. THE ON-DEMAND AIR TAXI FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY UNIVERSAL AIR SERVICE (PART 135). THE PILOT FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN AND ESTABLISHED FLIGHT FOLLOWING WITH UNIVERSAL AIR SERVICE FLIGHT OPERATIONS. REPORTEDLY, WHEN DEPARTING ORLANDO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (AT 05:50 EST), VFR CONDITIONS EXISTED, HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO WITNESSES AT OR NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE, LOW CLOUDS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY EXISTED AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT AND HIS REVENUE FEMALE PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO PICK UP A PASSENGER AT SPRUCE CREEK AIRPORT. THE PILOT REPORTEDLY RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE PIE FSS.

## 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 ATL02FA048](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL02FA048), Feb 16, 2002: Bell 206L-1 (N23PJ), New Smyrna Bch., FL, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot continued visual flight into instrument conditions that resulted in the in-flight collision with trees. Factor were the pilot's alcohol impaired condition, and low cloud conditions.

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.