- Date
- February 18, 1984, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lake City, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3893UBell 206L-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840218030739A
- Case key
- 16338
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 took off in marginal VMC conditions at close to conditions requiring maximum performance for takeoff. The plt attempted to hover at 90 percent RPM waiting he said 'for a breeze'. The hover stirred up snow causing a whiteout and loss of visual cues. When the acft was settling the plt applied 100 percent to check the descent but the acft struck the ground. An article in feb 1984 issue of flying safety had suggestions for this type operation which includes 'apply sufficient torque for a positive rate of climb.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3893U
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51020
- Airframe hours
- 1,298
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30P, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- N. Am. Helicopter Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 15, 1983 · 46 hours before
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,045 total · 2,194 in this make and model · 2,716 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 1 knots, gusting 12
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 12 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.