# NTSB CEN09IA254: Bell 206, N295AE, Vick, TX, April 8, 2009

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report
- Date: April 8, 2009, 01:00 local (07:00 UTC)
- Place: Vick, TX
- Location: 31.3410° N, 100.0920° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Vick, TX, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.3410&lon=-100.0920&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 4 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report August 13, 2009
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration (FSDO)
- NTSB case key (mKey): 73690
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN09IA254
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73690/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73690
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09IA254

## Probable cause

Undetermined.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Bell 206L-3, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=1182108), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute-cruise: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event); cases with it: [Bell 206L-3, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md?model=1182108), [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md)

## 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](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N295AE), registered now, S/N 51455, built 1991 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206 (L3)
- Registry model: [Bell 206L-3](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206l-3) (registry code 1182108) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Allison 250-C30 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c30-series) (registry code 03015, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Helicopter
- Serial number: 51455
- Airframe hours: 8817
- Engines: 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

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 63; injuries: none; 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

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Incident 20090408004769I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090408004769I), Apr 8, 2009: Bell 206L3, Vick, TX, Minor damage. (-23) On April 8, 2009, at approximately 0035 CDT, N295AE departed brady, Texas to transport a patient to san angelo, Texas. Twenty-five minutes into the…

## Other investigations on N295AE (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN24FA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24FA094), Jan 21, 2024: Bell 206 (N295AE), Hydro, OK, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The helicopter’s inflight collision with cackling geese, resulting in an inflight breakup.

## Docket (1 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2009, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73690. 461 KB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 461 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40312998&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.