- Date
- August 9, 1992, 18:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place
- St. Charles, MO
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N200LTBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 15, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920809029719A
- Case key
- 15307
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-in-command's failure to see and avoid the wires, and his physical impairment due to alcohol consumption. A factor which contributed to the effect of the alcohol impairment was the medicine.
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
While maneuvering over the Mississippi river, the helicopter collided with unmarked power transmission lines and crashed into the river below. The pilot's toxicological exam revealed a blood alcohol level of 114 mg/dl. In addition, the tox was positive for chlorpheniramine and phenylpropanolamine in the urine, a combination commonly found in non-prescription allergy/sinus headache medicines such as allerest, contac, and chlor-trimeton. Warnings placed on allerest state that the medication 'may cause drowsiness; alcohol, sedatives, and tranquilizers may increase the drowsiness effect...use caution when driving a motor vehicle or operating machinery.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N200LT
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3316
- Airframe hours
- 2,952
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Harold M. Arbeitman, doing business as Roayal Parkway Dodge
- Registered owner
- Royal Parkway Dodge
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 24, 1992
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 13,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- STL, 14 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.