- Date
- January 30, 1990, 10:10 local (15:10 UTC)
- Place
- Middleville, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N828WABell 222
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900130001349A
- Case key
- 14625
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 inadequate visual lookout and failure to maintain proper altitude and clearance from the tv tower. The tv tower (guy wire) was a related factor.
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 pilot stated that the helicopter was in cruise flight at 1,500 feet MSL (500 to 600 feet AGL) on a repositioning flight, when it struck a guy wire on a 1,060 foot high tv tower. The main rotor blade severed the wire/cable, and the pilot performed an emergency descent to a forced landing in a nearby field. The pilot told the state police that the helicopter was on autopilot, and 'he was checking his log (and papers) and various instruments in the cockpit . . . Happened to look up just prior to striking the cable.' A representative for the owners of the tv tower reported that it was marked (painted, lit, etc.) In accordance with FAA regulations. The pilot's logbook records indicated a total flight time of 10,434 hours, of which 9,549 hours were accumulated in rotorcraft (including 91 hours in the accident make and model aircraft).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N828WA
- Reported as
- Bell 222
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 47086
- Airframe hours
- 1,588
- Engine
- Lycoming LTS-101-650C, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Mcmahon Helicopters Services
- Registered owner
- J.W. Leasing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 8, 1989 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- C19 · Holland, MI
- Destination
- 1D2 · Canton, MI
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 10,434 total · 91 in this make and model · 10,400 as pilot in command · 58 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRR, 11 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.