- Date
- September 25, 1984, 21:46 local (Sep 26, 1984, 01:46 UTC)
- Place
- Kernersville, NC
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7CFBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840925054919A
- Case key
- 6304
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While dismantling a water tower, an iron worker was seriously injured & pinned as he was removing a portion of a water tower leg (aprx 92 ft AGL). The helicopter plt responded to the emergency. The acft was equipped with a make-shift sling line to retrieve the injured iron worker. The iron worker died, but the helicopter plt volunteered to continue with the mission. The plt was not familiar with this type of operation, but a paramedic was on board to assist. The paramedic was not familiar with helicopter operations. Svrl quartz halogen lgts were used to illuminate the 4 water tower legs. At the plt's request, all but 1 were turned off to keep from blinding the plt as he hovered over the structure at ngt. There was no direct radio comm between the plt & ground psnl, but the paramedic was in contact with ground psnl. While hovering, the helicopter moved slowly back toward a leg of the structure. Ground psnl tried to warn the plt, but the helicopter hit a water tower leg, then crashed & burned.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7CF
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3059
- Airframe hours
- 1,875
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Triad Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 11, 1984 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- INT · Winston-Salem, NC
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 12,670 total · 1,870 in this make and model · 109 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- INT, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.