20060202004249A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell 206L-1 · Chesterfield, IN · February 2, 2006

Date: February 2, 2006 · 01:45 local
Place: Chesterfield, IN
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: HEEA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N593AE
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI06LA074
Reported as: Bell 206L1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,865 total1,368 in this make and model13 in the last 90 days

N593AERegistration cancelled Feb 16, 2010 · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45421 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1

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.

(-23) Crew was paged for a patient transfer flight at 0131. Destination was kokomo, IN to indianapolis, IN. The pilot looked outside for visual conditions and it was a "little hazy." He then went back in and looked at the radar, checked kokomo and anderson weather and they were VFR. He did not check the AWOS at anderson. He mentioned to the crew that it was a little hazy since their last flight. They departed at approx. 0139. As they were climbing the pilot started seeing whiffs of clouds. As he climbed through 400-500' the weather wasn't what he expected and he told the crew he was turning around. He made a right climbing turn but had no visible horizon by this time. He went on the instruments but felt that the attitude indicator was not moving and cocked off center about 30 degrees. He was IMC and then remembers seeing two houses and trying to steer between them. The accident site was in a residential area in Chesterfield, IN approx. 1 mile from the anderson report.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) CREW WAS PAGED FOR A PATIENT TRANSFER FLIGHT AT 0131. DESTINATION WAS KOKOMO, IN TO INDIANAPOLIS, IN. THE PILOT LOOKED OUTSIDE FOR VISUAL CONDITIONS AND IT WAS A "LITTLE HAZY." HE THEN WENT BACK IN AND LOOKED AT THE RADAR, CHECKED KOKOMO AND ANDERSON WEATHER AND THEY WERE VFR. HE DID NOT CHECK THE AWOS AT ANDERSON. HE MENTIONED TO THE CREW THAT IT WAS A LITTLE HAZY SINCE THEIR LAST FLIGHT. THEY DEPARTED AT APPROX. 0139. AS THEY WERE CLIMBING THE PILOT STARTED SEEING WHIFFS OF CLOUDS. AS HE CLIMBED THROUGH 400-500' THE WEATHER WASN'T WHAT HE EXPECTED AND HE TOLD THE CREW HE WAS TURNING AROUND. HE MADE A RIGHT CLIMBING TURN BUT HAD NO VISIBLE HORIZON BY THIS TIME. HE WENT ON THE INSTRUMENTS BUT FELT THAT THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR WAS NOT MOVING AND COCKED OFF CENTER ABOUT 30 DEGREES. HE WAS IMC AND THEN REMEMBERS SEEING TWO HOUSES AND TRYING TO STEER BETWEEN THEM. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA IN CHESTERFIELD, IN APPROX. 1 MILE FROM THE ANDERSON REPORT.

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 CHI06LA074Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportChesterfield, INThe pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control after becoming spatially disorientated shortly after departure. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight weather evaluation, his inadvertent flight into night instrument meteorological…Feb 2, 2006 · Destroyed