- Date
- January 21, 1986, 04:25 local (10:25 UTC)
- Place
- Ellendale, MN
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1498WBell 206B
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860121001469A
- Case key
- 13537
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 purpose of the flt was to take a news crew to a location to cover a story. The news crew had attempted to hire another helicopter, but that operator refused due to forcast low visibility. This plt, however, agreed to fly. Altho he was certified for intrument flt in airplanes, the plt was not qualified for instument flt in helicopters, nor was thehelicopter certified for instrument flt. During a wx briefing, the plt was advised of adverse wx cond. While N1498W was in flt, 2 witnesses obsd a helicopter flying along a hiway on the plt's planned route at a very low alt. A truck driver estimated the acft had passed aprx 2' ovr his 13' rig; he said he could feel the downwash fm the rotor blades. Witnessesestimated the ceiling to be at or below 100' AGL & the visibility to be 1/8 to 1/4 mi with hvy fog. The helicopter crashed & burned aprx 100' fm the hiway near a pwr line crossing. Impact occurred while the helicopter was in a shallow dscnt, hdg away fm the hiway & parallel with the pwr line. Wreckage was not fnd until 1150 CST. No ELT was installed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1498W
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 425
- Airframe hours
- 11,760
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Odyssey Helicopter Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 20, 1986 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- RLA · Minneapolis, MN
- Destination
- RLA · Austin, MN
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,071 total · 141 in this make and model · 835 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft overcast
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.