- Date
- November 28, 2007, 08:20 local (15:20 UTC)
- Place
- Casper, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N222LFBell 222 UT
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 67191
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
High winds forcing the helicopter's main rotor blade to strike the helicopter vertical stabilizer and tail boom during engine start, causing substantial damage.
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
A Bell 222 helicopter, N222LF, operated by C J Systems Aviation Group, was substantially damaged when during the engine start at the Casper Medical Center, Casper, Wyoming; a wind gust forced the main rotor blade into the left vertical stabilizer fin and tail boom. The positioning flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot on board was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of accident. The wind conditions At Natrona County Airport, 6 miles west of the hospital were reported as out of the west at 30 knots.
Factual narrative
A Bell 222 helicopter, N222LF, operated by C J Systems Aviation Group, was substantially damaged when during engine start at the Casper Medical Center, Casper, Wyoming; a wind gust forced the main rotor blade into the left vertical stabilizer fin and tail boom. The positioning flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot on board was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of accident. The wind conditions At Natrona County Airport, 6 miles west of the hospital were reported as out of the west at 30 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N222LF
- Reported as
- Bell 222 UT
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 47528
- Engines
- Lycoming LTS 101-750, 650 horsepower, turbo shaftLycoming LTS 101-750, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- C J Systems Aviation Group
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- Casper, WY
- Destination
- CAP · Casper, 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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 2,141 total · 29 in this make and model · 91 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Other investigations on N222LF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.