What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 28, 2021, about 1658 central daylight time, a Bell 206B helicopter, N59600, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Perry, Oklahoma. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries and the student pilot sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 personal flight.
The family members of the pilot reported that he worked fulltime as a helicopter air ambulance pilot. The pilot owned the helicopter and also worked part-time seasonal jobs as a 14 CFR part 137 aerial application pilot. According to the student pilot,privacy data omitted, the helicopter departed from a private heliportprivacy data omitted about 1600. The pilot performed three traffic pattern flights at the Perry Municipal Airport (F22), Perry, Oklahoma. The helicopter then departed to the west of the airport, about 2 miles west of I-35, where the pilot was then demonstrating toprivacy data omittedhow he performed low-level aerial application maneuvers over private property that consisted of cattle grazing pasture.
During the demonstration flight, the maneuvers were stopped, and the occupants were observing a coyote in a field. At about 50 ft above ground level (AGL), and travelling about 25 knots forward airspeed, the helicopter experienced an un-commanded left roll. The pilot attempted to regain control, the helicopter impacted a field, and came to rest next to a fence line. A postimpact fire ensued and incinerated the wreckage. privacy data omitted Was able to egress from the burning wreckage and contacted first responders.
The national transportation safety board, the federal aviation administration, and air safety investigators from Bell and rolls-royce engines travelled to the accident site to perform documentation and examination activities. Documenting the wreckage revealed that the helicopter had aerial application equipment onboard such as the hopper, however the spray boom was not installed at the time of the accident.
A preliminary review of meteorological data indicated light southerly winds below 2,000 ft AGL, no indications of turbulence or low-level wind shear, or any other outflows or wind shifts. A pilot report indicated flight visibility of 10 miles. The national weather service had produced no inflight weather advisories over the region during the flight period. Astronomical conditions indicated the accident occurred before sunset with a low sun elevation present.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 28, 2021, ABOUT 1658 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206B HELICOPTER, N59600, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR PERRY, OKLAHOMA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AND THE STUDENT PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WORKED FULLTIME AS A HELICOPTER AIR AMBULANCE PILOT. THE PILOT OWNED THE HELICOPTER AND ALSO WORKED PART-TIME SEASONAL JOBS AS A 14 CFR PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION PILOT. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED FROM A PRIVATE HELIPORT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ABOUT 1600. THE PILOT PERFORMED THREE TRAFFIC PATTERN FLIGHTS AT THE PERRY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (F22), PERRY, OKLAHOMA. THE HELICOPTER THEN DEPARTED TO THE WEST OF THE AIRPORT, ABOUT 2 MILES WEST OF I-35, WHERE THE PILOT WAS THEN DEMONSTRATING TO^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^HOW HE PERFORMED LOW-LEVEL AERIAL APPLICATION MANEUVERS OVER PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT CONSISTED OF CATTLE GRAZING PASTURE.
DURING THE DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT, THE MANEUVERS WERE STOPPED, AND THE OCCUPANTS WERE OBSERVING A COYOTE IN A FIELD. AT ABOUT 50 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), AND TRAVELLING ABOUT 25 KNOTS FORWARD AIRSPEED, THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED AN UN-COMMANDED LEFT ROLL. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN CONTROL, THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED A FIELD, AND CAME TO REST NEXT TO A FENCE LINE. A POSTIMPACT FIRE ENSUED AND INCINERATED THE WRECKAGE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ABLE TO EGRESS FROM THE BURNING WRECKAGE AND CONTACTED FIRST RESPONDERS.
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, AND AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATORS FROM BELL AND ROLLS-ROYCE ENGINES TRAVELLED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE TO PERFORM DOCUMENTATION AND EXAMINATION ACTIVITIES. DOCUMENTING THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER HAD AERIAL APPLICATION EQUIPMENT ONBOARD SUCH AS THE HOPPER, HOWEVER THE SPRAY BOOM WAS NOT INSTALLED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF METEOROLOGICAL DATA INDICATED LIGHT SOUTHERLY WINDS BELOW 2,000 FT AGL, NO INDICATIONS OF TURBULENCE OR LOW-LEVEL WIND SHEAR, OR ANY OTHER OUTFLOWS OR WIND SHIFTS. A PILOT REPORT INDICATED FLIGHT VISIBILITY OF 10 MILES. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAD PRODUCED NO INFLIGHT WEATHER ADVISORIES OVER THE REGION DURING THE FLIGHT PERIOD. ASTRONOMICAL CONDITIONS INDICATED THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED BEFORE SUNSET WITH A LOW SUN ELEVATION PRESENT.
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 N59600 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.