- Date
- April 27, 1993, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N96DMBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930427010969A
- Case key
- 8739
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper compensation for wind conditions during the approach and landing. Factors were the gusts, turbulence, and tailwind conditions at the landing site.
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 commercial pilot had completed a revenue flight with 3 passengers, and was making an off airport landing. The helicopter landed hard, and structural damage resulted. The pilot later reported to an FAA inspector that he had attempted a steep approach in a tailwind condition, resulting in insufficient power available to arrest the sink rate. The pilot reported the surface winds to be 6 to 18 knots, with gusts to 27 knots, and severe turbulence. He received weather info from duats and ATIS prior to the accident, and reported that a fast moving cold front had passed just prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N96DM
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2816
- Airframe hours
- 3,332
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 417 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Donald E. Mullis, doing business as Helicopters Of Charleston
- Registered owner
- Park Leasing Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 27, 1993 · 19 hours before
- Departed
- CRE · N. Myrtle Beach, SC
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,105 total · 805 in this make and model · 2,950 as pilot in command · 117 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MYR, 5 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.