- Date
- July 22, 1983, 16:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Melrose, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2261LBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830722036519A
- Case key
- 16127
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 tail rotor contacted a forest service sign post during landing. The pilot was aware of the post when landing but landed near it for convenience in refueling. The landing was on a slope and the nose of the acft started sliding on the slope. The pilot raised the acft but the nose continued to yaw which caused the tail rotor to hit the post. The helicopter then yawed and rolled over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2261L
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3600
- Airframe hours
- 1,356
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20J, 420 lbs thrust, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Continental Helicopters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Textron Financial Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 10, 1983 · 56 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 5,910 total · 600 in this make and model · 5,454 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.