- Date
- August 27, 1990, 01:00 local (06:00 UTC)
- Place
- Elkhorn, WI
- Injuries
- 5 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N16933Bell 206B
- Weather
- Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900827036549A
- Case key
- 14789
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, and his failure to attain adequate altitude before flying over rising terrain at night. Factors related to the accident were: darkness, fog, haze, rising terrain, and the lack of visual cues that were available to the pilot.
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
Four helicopters were being used at night to transport a concert group from a golf course area near Elkhorn, WI, to chicago, IL. As the third helicopter (N16933) was departing, it remained at a lower altitude than the others, and the pilot turned southeasterly toward rising terrain. Subsequently, the helicopter crashed on hilly terrain about 3/5 mi from the takeoff point. Elevation of the crash site was about 100 ft above the golf course and 50 ft below the summit of the hill. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found during the investigation. Pilots of the other helicopters reported VFR flight conditions with some fog. A ground witness near the crash site reported haze and ground fog of varying intensity with patches of low clouds, but said stars could be seen through the fog.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16933
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2338
- Airframe hours
- 7,018
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Omniflight Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · August 8, 1990 · 36 hours before
- Destination
- MDW · Chicago, IL
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
- 42
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,043 total · 1,540 in this make and model · 4,609 as pilot in command · 264 in the last 90 days · 73 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Night/dark
- Observed at
- MKE, 23 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.