- Date
- March 10, 1988, 10:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Cahokia, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N13QBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 13843
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 instructor was giving a pilot an employment evaluation in the helicopter when during the startup the pilot prematurely added full power causing the helicopter to rotate rapidly to the right. The helicopter had been positioned on a trailer. During the uncontrolled rotation it struck a tractor, attached to the trailer, with the tail rotor. The helicopter came to rest a few feet from the trailer after the main rotor assembly broke away from the helicopter. The torque gauge in the helicopter indicated in excess of 100%.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N13Q
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- N13Q
- Airframe hours
- 3,811
- Engine
- Allison C250-C20B, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Helicopters, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 31, 1987 · 66 hours before
- Airport
- CPS · St. Louis Downtown
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 21,500 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 21,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 9° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CPS, 4 nm away