20060810014959A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206L-3 · Salt Lake City, UT · August 10, 2006

Date: August 10, 2006 · 22:35 local
Place: Salt Lake City, UT
Airport: Salt Lake City International
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: QMLA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N206UH
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA06CA161
Reported as: Bell 206L3
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,161 total358 in this make and model31 in the last 90 days

N206UHRegistered now · Bell 206L-3S/N 51167 Airframe modelBell 206L-3 Engine modelAllison 250-C30 seriesTurbo-shaft

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) Pilot was hovering expecting a clearance to takeoff on a medical mission. Air traffic delayed clearance due to an inbound helicopter landing at the same ramp. The pilot did not realize that the helicopter was moving backward due to visual reference at night. The tail rotor struck the hangar and the pilot made an immediate autorotation safely.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS HOVERING EXPECTING A CLEARANCE TO TAKEOFF ON A MEDICAL MISSION. AIR TRAFFIC DELAYED CLEARANCE DUE TO AN INBOUND HELICOPTER LANDING AT THE SAME RAMP. THE PILOT DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS MOVING BACKWARD DUE TO VISUAL REFERENCE AT NIGHT. THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE HANGAR AND THE PILOT MADE AN IMMEDIATE AUTOROTATION SAFELY.

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 SEA06CA161Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportSalt Lake City, UTThe failure of the pilot to maintain clearance by allowing the helicopter to drift backwards, resulting in its tail rotor striking a hangar.Aug 11, 2006 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N206UH · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19970915031969IHovering · Salt Lake City, UT(-23) No narrative available.Sep 15, 1997 · Minor damage