# Accident 20030819028019A: Bell 206B, Mason County, TX, August 19, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 19, 2003, 19:45 local time
- Place: Mason County, TX
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.7322° N, 99.1844° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.7322&lon=-99.1844&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9877Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9877Z-2003-12-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206B (registry code 1181511, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C20 series (registry code 03020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206B
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,600 total, 1,200 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW03LA197](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA197) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030819028019A

## Narrative

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

(-23) PILOT WAS REPORTEDLY DOING A DRY RUN FOR A VIDEO WHEN THE HELICOPTER HE WAS PILOTING HIT THE BOTTOM WIRE OF ELECTRICAL LINES GOING ACROSS THE HIGHWAY. THE ELECTRICAL LINE HIT THE COWLING JUST FORWARD OF THE MAIN ROTOR. THE HELICOPTER TRAVELED 50 YARDS BEFORE IMPACTING THE ROADWAY AND SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 70 YARDS BEFORE GOING OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SKIDDING ON ITS LEFTSIDE BEFORE IT IMPACTED THE BAR DITCH. THE HELICOPTER CAUGHT FIRE AFTER IT CAME TO A STOP DUE TO THE EXHAUST PIPE BEING ON THE GRASS. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS WALKED AWAY WITH MINOR INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED.

## 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 FTW03LA197](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA197), Aug 20, 2003: Bell 206B (N9877Z), Mason, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the power line. A contributing factor was the sunglare.

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.