- Date
- January 22, 1984, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Huntington, UT
- Injuries
- 4 serious, 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N500CNBell 206L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 16194
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
While in a stabilized, out-of-ground-effect hover, at about 300 feet AGL, the helicopter started an uncontrollable right turn. The plt stated that using full left peddle had no effect on stopping the spin. At the onset of the spin, the occupants of the acft felt a high frequency vibration. The plt stated that he reduced the rotor RPM by rolling off the throttle & lowered the collective. The helicopter descended into trees in a right spin. The plt stated that he did not believe that there was anything mechanically wrong with the acft. The coplt stated that he felt that they had experienced a loss of tailrotor authority. Investigation revealed no mechanical problems with the helicopter. Review of height-velocity chart for the bell 206L-1 indicated that a successul auto-rotation from hover a 300 feet AGL is not probable. The elevation of the crash site was aprx 6800 ft MSL.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N500CN
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45188
- Airframe hours
- 1,291
- Engine
- Allison 250-C28B, 500 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Price Air Med
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 23, 1983 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- Huntington, UT
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,713 total · 47 in this make and model · 2,445 as pilot in command · 94 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 19 °F