- Date
- April 16, 1985, 14:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Prestonburg, KY
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N773WWBell 206L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19850416014239A
- Case key
- 6604
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
The pax deplaned & the plt took off on a short flt to a nearby arpt to refuel. After climbing for about 30 to 40 sec & accelerating to aprx 100 KTS, the plt started to adjust the pwr for lvl flt. At about that time, the eng lost pwr. The plt attempted to restore eng pwr, but was unable. He turned to land in a large field that he had just overflown. Drgan autorotation, the eng stabilized at idle RPM, but would not respond to throttle movements. The plt saw power lines in his autorotation path & elected to cross over a creek & a row of trees & land in another field. However, the heli- copter had insufficient alt to clear the trees. Subsequently, it hit the trees & crash landed on a creek bank. After landing, the eng was still running & was shut down by using the fuel shut-off sw. The aft fuel cell was punctured drg impact; therefore, the amount of fuel on board could not be determined. The eng operated drg a post-crash check, but impact damage prevented operating it at high RPM. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was verified.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N773WW
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45744
- Airframe hours
- 6,837
- Engine
- Allison 250-C28B, 500 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wilkinson Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 28, 1985 · 882 hours before
- Destination
- 316
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,433 total · 121 in this make and model · 5,028 as pilot in command · 93 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.