- Date
- April 8, 2009, 01:00 local (07:00 UTC)
- Place
- Vick, TX
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N295AEBell 206
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Unknown or undetermined
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration (FSDO)
- FAA report
- 20090408004769I
- Case key
- 73690
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
Undetermined.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot he heard and felt a prolonged "thud" during cruise flight at 1,000 feet above ground level and 110 knots. The airframe "wallowed" laterally and he felt resistance in the cyclic flight control followed by a return of normal aircraft control. He made a precautionary landing. An examination of the airframe revealed that the left side vertical winglet of the horizontal stabilizer was missing, and the lower vertical fin leading edge was damaged. The vertical stabilizer was not recovered. No evidence was found to determine the initiation of the damage. An examination of the remaining helicopter systems revealed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
On April 8, 2009, approximately 0100 central standard time, a Bell Helicopter 206/L3, N295AE, registered to Air Evac EMS Inc., and operated by a commercial pilot, received minor damage while in cruise flight near Vick, Texas. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident. The air medical flight was being conducted under provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on a company visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. Neither the pilot, two crew members, or passenger were injured. The cross country flight departed Hot Hospital, Brady, Texas, approximately 0035 and was en route to Shannon Medical Center (03TS), San Angelo, Texas. According to the pilot he heard and felt a prolonged "thud" during cruise flight at 1,000 feet above ground level (agl) and 110 knots. The airframe "wallowed" laterally and he felt resistance in the cyclic flight control followed by a return of normal aircraft control. The pilot made a precautionary landing. An examination of the airframe revealed that the left side vertical winglet of the horizontal stabilizer was missing, and the lower vertical fin leading edge was crumpled. According to the helicopter operator, the vertical stabilizer was not recovered and there was no physical evidence located on the helicopter identifying the object involved in the collision. An examination of the remaining helicopter systems revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N295AE
- Reported as
- Bell 206 (L3)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51455
- Airframe hours
- 8,817
- Engine
- Rolls Royce C250C30P, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Air Evac EMS, INC., doing business as Air Evac Life Team
- Registered owner
- Air Evac EMS, INC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · March 30, 2009
- Departed
- Hot Hospital, TX
- Destination
- 03TS · Shannon Med Ctr, TX
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 3, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 10,206 total · 7,353 in this make and model · 10,031 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 200° at 12 knots
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KSJT, 60 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 461 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N295AE · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.