What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 4, 2016, about 1610 eastern daylight time, a Bell 206L, N16760, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The helicopter was operated by great smoky mountain helicopters, inc., doing business as, smoky mountain helicopters. The commercial pilot and four passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed sixty six heliport (6TN3), sevierville, Tennessee. The local air tour flight was conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91,
A company pilot reported that he flew the helicopter an estimated 10 flights on the morning of the accident, and before the accident pilot began flying sometime between 1300 and 1400. The accident pilot performed 4 flights in the helicopter and then shut it down while waiting for additional customers. The accident pilot subsequently restarted the helicopter, and completed a 4 minute flight before departing on the accident flight, which was scheduled to last between 7 and 8 minutes. He further stated that a check of the fuel level prior to departure revealed it was "just below the 6-inch line," which he estimated corresponded to about 300 pounds of fuel on board.
The helicopter initially impacted trees near the top of a ridge that was about 1,100 feet mean sea level (MSL). The helicopter came to rest in a wooded area near the bottom of the ridge, on its left side, on a heading of about 340 degrees magnetic. Two large, freshly broken trees were located about 100 feet south of the main wreckage, which was mostly consumed by a postcrash fire. In addition, the entire area surrounding the main wreckage was charred.
All major structural components of the helicopter were located at the accident site.
Engine and component teardown revealed the spline wear on the fuel pump.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 4, 2016, ABOUT 1610 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206L, N16760, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING IN PIGEON FORGE, TENNESSEE. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED BY GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN HELICOPTERS, INC., DOING BUSINESS AS, SMOKY MOUNTAIN HELICOPTERS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND FOUR PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED SIXTY SIX HELIPORT (6TN3), SEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE. THE LOCAL AIR TOUR FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91,
A COMPANY PILOT REPORTED THAT HE FLEW THE HELICOPTER AN ESTIMATED 10 FLIGHTS ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT, AND BEFORE THE ACCIDENT PILOT BEGAN FLYING SOMETIME BETWEEN 1300 AND 1400. THE ACCIDENT PILOT PERFORMED 4 FLIGHTS IN THE HELICOPTER AND THEN SHUT IT DOWN WHILE WAITING FOR ADDITIONAL CUSTOMERS. THE ACCIDENT PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY RESTARTED THE HELICOPTER, AND COMPLETED A 4 MINUTE FLIGHT BEFORE DEPARTING ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, WHICH WAS SCHEDULED TO LAST BETWEEN 7 AND 8 MINUTES. HE FURTHER STATED THAT A CHECK OF THE FUEL LEVEL PRIOR TO DEPARTURE REVEALED IT WAS "JUST BELOW THE 6-INCH LINE," WHICH HE ESTIMATED CORRESPONDED TO ABOUT 300 POUNDS OF FUEL ON BOARD.
THE HELICOPTER INITIALLY IMPACTED TREES NEAR THE TOP OF A RIDGE THAT WAS ABOUT 1,100 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST IN A WOODED AREA NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE RIDGE, ON ITS LEFT SIDE, ON A HEADING OF ABOUT 340 DEGREES MAGNETIC. TWO LARGE, FRESHLY BROKEN TREES WERE LOCATED ABOUT 100 FEET SOUTH OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE, WHICH WAS MOSTLY CONSUMED BY A POSTCRASH FIRE. IN ADDITION, THE ENTIRE AREA SURROUNDING THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS CHARRED.
ALL MAJOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF THE HELICOPTER WERE LOCATED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE.
ENGINE AND COMPONENT TEARDOWN REVEALED THE SPLINE WEAR ON THE FUEL PUMP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N16760 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.