- Date
- December 2, 1983, 10:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Cokeville, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1084NBell 205A-1
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831202059719A
- Case key
- 16299
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 plt reported that snow had been falling regularily for the previous few days before the flt. He departed the staging area with 12 drill crew members. At that time, the visibility was 2 to 3 mi & a ceiling of 800 to 1000 ft. the plt flew 9 of the passengers to a seismic line on an 8000 ft ridge line, then flew the other passengers to the valley floor, where their equipment was located. During arrival, there was a 500 ft ceiling, the visibility was about 1 mi & snow was falling lightly. While landing, the rotor wash kicked up considerable snow, but the plt was able to use the drill rigs for a visual reference. He took off again to return to the staging area, but after flying aprx 1/4 mi, the snow shower increased & the visibility began dropping. He decided to land & wait for the wx to improve. However, as he approached the ground, all visual reference was lost due to snow kicked up from the rotor wash. Subsequently, the helicopter drifted to the right, the right skid dug into the snow & the helicopter rolled over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1084N
- Reported as
- Bell 205A-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 30308
- Airframe hours
- 2,172
- Engine
- Lycoming T5313B, 1,250 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Heli-Jet Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · November 11, 1983 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- Cokeville, WY
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,361 total · 5,011 in this make and model · 5,191 as pilot in command · 67 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EVW, 52 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.