- Date
- August 23, 2004, 15:05 local (21:05 UTC)
- Place
- Atlantic City, WY
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2751UBell 206B3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20040823019389A
- Case key
- 59974
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 inability to maintain aircraft control, improper in-flight planning and decision making, and failure to compensate for wind conditions, resulting in collision with terrain. Contributing factors were the intentional low-level maneuver, and the wind shear conditions.
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
According to the pilot, he was engaged in a filming operation. He had completed a "high groundspeed" pass and was slowing to approximately "20 mph" into the wind. At approximately 75 feet above the ground, and an airspeed of approximately 60 knots, the pilot continued to maneuver the helicopter around the leeward side of a small hill. During the maneuver, the helicopter encountered a sudden wind shear and a "15 to 20 knot tailwind." The pilot stated that the helicopter lost all response to control inputs, and he was unable to maintain altitude. The helicopter descended, struck the terrain and rolled over. The impact crushed the forward fuselage, separated the main rotor assembly, and buckled the tail boom.
Factual narrative
On August 23, 2004, at approximately 1505 mountain daylight time, a Bell 206B3, N2751U, operated by Hawkins and Powers Aviation, Inc., was substantially damaged when it struck high, rolling terrain while maneuvering near Atlantic City, Wyoming. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The commercial pilot and one passenger received serious injuries and two passengers received minor injuries. The flight originated at approximately 1415.
According to the pilot, he was engaged in a filming operation. He was completing a "high groundspeed" pass and was slowing to approximately "20 mph" into the wind. At approximately 75 feet above the ground, and an airspeed of approximately 60 knots, the pilot continued to maneuver the helicopter around the leeward side of a small hill. During the maneuver, the helicopter encountered a sudden wind shear and a "15 to 20 knot tailwind." The pilot stated that helicopter lost all response to control inputs, and he was unable to maintain altitude. The helicopter descended, struck the terrain and rolled over. The impact crushed the forward fuselage, separated the main rotor assembly, and buckled the tail boom.
At 1453, the recorded wind condition at Hunt Field (LND), Lander, WY, located approximately 23 nautical miles at 350 degrees, elevation 5586, was, 210 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 18 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2751U
- Reported as
- Bell 206B3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2689
- Airframe hours
- 11,866
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C20B, 430 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hawkins and Powers Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 2, 2004 · 68.8 hours before
- Departed
- LND · Atlantic City, WY
- Destination
- LND · Atlantic City, WY
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 57
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 11, 2004
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 16,280 total · 10,000 in this make and model · 13,000 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 15 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- KLND, 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.