- Date
- December 24, 1985, 23:30 local (Dec 25, 1985, 06:30 UTC)
- Place
- Monument Valley, UT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N10UBBell 206-L3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851224064199A
- Case key
- 16799
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 contacted power lines and the terrain during an attempted takeoff from a hospital after a cancelled med-evac flt. The hospital is located in a box canyon surrounded by high terrain and power lines. The plt was aware of the power line that crossed the proposed flt path. A passen ger stated, after the accident, that the plt hovered back to the end of the landing area to initiate the takeoff. The helicopter struck the unmarked power lines during climbout and descended to ground impact. A witnesses described the wxas cold and clear with calm ground winds near the hospital. They also stated the night was bright because of a full moon.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N10UB
- Reported as
- Bell 206-L3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51077
- Airframe hours
- 356
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30P, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Method, doing business as [Ems]
- Registered owner
- Jerry Angerson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 14, 1985 · 56 hours before
- Destination
- GJC · Grand Junction, CO
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,489 total · 3,151 in this make and model · 5,174 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.