# NTSB DEN01LA084: Bell 222UT, N222LF, Alcova, WY, April 6, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 6, 2001, 17:15 local (23:15 UTC) - Place: Alcova, WY - Coordinates: 42.558334, -106.861946 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5583&lon=-106.8619&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 20, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 52050 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN01LA084 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/52050/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN01LA084 ## Probable cause the pilot's failure to maintain tail rotor clearance during a right pedal turn while hovering. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, hover - in ground effect - object - other - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The air medical helicopter was performing a landing on a paved traffic turn-out immediately next to a state highway. The pilot was hovering the aircraft just above the ground, and he decided to reorient the helicopter to facilitate loading the patient. During the right pedal turn, the tail rotor struck a 55 gallon trash barrel. The helicopter yawed to the right, and the pilot brought the throttles to flight idle and landed the helicopter. ## Factual narrative On April 6, 2001, at approximately 1715 mountain daylight time, a Bell 222UT, N222LF, was substantially damaged when its tail rotor impacted a barrel during an off airport landing near Alcova, Wyoming. The airline transport pilot and his two passengers were not injured. Corporate Jets, Inc., of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, was operating the helicopter under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the air medical evacuation positioning flight that originated approximately 30 minutes before the accident from Casper, Wyoming. No flight plan had been filed. According to the pilot, he was landing the helicopter to meet an ambulance for a critical patient transfer. The landing area was visually checked by the pilot and the two medical personnel onboard. The helicopter landed on a paved traffic turn-out area immediately next to highway 220. The pilot said that he was hovering just above the ground and he decided to reorient the aircraft to facilitate loading the patient. During the right pedal turn, the tail rotor struck a 55 gallon trash barrel. The helicopter yawed to the right, and the pilot brought the throttles to flight idle and landed the helicopter. The tail boom was twisted, the tail rotor blades were damaged, and the tail rotor gear box was nearly separated from the airframe. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N222LF](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N222LF-2017-09-18), registration cancelled 2017-09-18, S/N 47528, built 1984 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Bell 222UT - Registry model: [Bell 222UT](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-222ut) (registry code 1182148) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming LTS-101 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-lts-101-series) (registry code 41560, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 47528 - Airframe hours: 6915 - Engines: Lycoming LTS 101-750C 653 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Operator: Corporate Jets, Inc. - Registered owner: First Security Bank - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, April 15, 2001, 45 hours before - Departed: CPR, Casper, WY - Destination: NONE, Alcova, WY - Airport: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 43; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter, airplane; medical: class 2; seat: right; flight hours: 4,315 total, 80 in this make and model, 2,989 as pilot in command, 58 in the last 90 days, 18 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 8,000 ft broken - Temperature: 46 °F, dew point 39 °F - Altimeter: 29.46 inHg - Observed at: CPR, 22 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010406006849A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010406006849A), Apr 6, 2001: Bell 222UT, Casper, WY, No damage. (-23) While conducting an off airport landing to transport a trauma patient, the helicopter was landing in a vacant turnout. As the helicopter came in for a… ## Other investigations on N222LF (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB DEN08CA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN08CA035), Nov 28, 2007: Bell 222 UT (N222LF), Casper, WY, substantial damage. Probable cause: High winds forcing the helicopter's main rotor blade to strike the helicopter vertical stabilizer and tail boom during engine start, causing substantial damage. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.