# Accident 20160404021409A: Bell 206L, Pigeon Forge, TN, April 4, 2016

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 4, 2016, 16:10 local time
- Place: Pigeon Forge, TN
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.8253° N, 83.5683° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.8253&lon=-83.5683&mi=10
- Aircraft: N16760, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N16760) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206L (registry code 1181522, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206l) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250 SER 400HP (registry code 03013, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-ser-400hp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250 SER 400HP
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 5
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA16FA144](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16FA144) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160404021409A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 ERA16FA144](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16FA144), Apr 4, 2016: Bell 206 (N16760), Pigeon Forge, TN, destroyed, 5 fatal. Probable cause: An inflight loss of engine power due to a failure of the engine fuel pump, which resulted in a collision with trees and terrain during the subsequent autorotation. The failure of the engine fuel pump…

## Other reports on N16760 (3)

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

- [Incident 19910628029149I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910628029149I), Jun 28, 1991: Bell 206L (N16760), Pigeon Forge, TN, Minor damage. Engines failed after lift off. Landed hard damaging tail boom. Suspect NR2 bearing failed.
- [Incident 19870531039279I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870531039279I), May 31, 1987: Bell 206L (N16760), Pigeon Forge, TN. Sightseeing helicopter came too close to competitor on takeoff and landings.
- [Incident 19831020069789I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19831020069789I), Oct 20, 1983: Bell 206L (N16760), Freeport, TX, Minor damage. Tail rotor struck crawe cables at a hovering position. Trying to land on a heaving barge autorotated on to barge.

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.

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