- Date
- January 20, 1985, 23:15 local (Jan 21, 1985, 06:15 UTC)
- Place
- Carson, NM
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N40TEBell 206 L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850120002019A
- Case key
- 16523
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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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 in open terrain during a turn to reverse direction. Witnesses stated the acft was heading north and was on a converging course with high tension lines that were about 80 to 100 ft high and the belly counted spotlight was illuminated when it passed overhead. The helicopter impacted snow covered terrain in a steep descending bank to the right at a high rate of speed on a southerly heading. The power lines showed no evidence of having been struck. The accident site was 300 ft east of the power lines.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40TE
- Reported as
- Bell 206 L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45712
- Airframe hours
- 7,237
- Engine
- Allison 250C-28B, 435 lbs thrust, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Ems, doing business as [Ems]
- Registered owner
- Edward M. Zimmer, Jr. Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 18, 1985 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- TACO · Taos, NM
- Airport
- Unknown
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 16 °F, dew point 9 °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.