- Date
- January 6, 1983, 10:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Sula, MT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N55LWBell 206B III
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830106000459A
- Case key
- 15966
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The helicopter crashed tail low and rolled over in an open field during marginal weather. The pilot was flying on an expired student certificate and expired medical. According to a pilot who had worked with him the pilot had no helicopter rating. Witnesses stated the weather conditions as poor visibility and snowing. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any specific reason for low rotor rmp just prior to ground impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55LW
- Reported as
- Bell 206B III
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2249
- Airframe hours
- 2,237
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Intermountain Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 26, 1982
- Departed
- Corvallis, MT
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 5 knots, gusting 15
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.