- Date
- January 27, 1986, 13:52 local (20:52 UTC)
- Place
- Missoula, MT
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5019KBell 206L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 1987
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860127001459A
- Case key
- 16803
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, equipped with landing skid snow pads, was parked on a narrow ramp extension to a roof top helipad that was surrounded by a concrete curb. Upon takeoff to a hover, the right snow pad struck and became momentartily caught on bolts protruding from the top of the curb located on the right side of the helicopter, resulting in a right rolling action of the helicopter. The lift forces bent the snow pad, suddenly disengaging it from the bolts, at which time the acft suddenly accelerated toward a building. As the pilot was attempting to regain control to avoid impact with the building, the tail rotor struck the roof top and anti-torque control was lost. The acft spun to the right until impact on the helipad.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5019K
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45229
- Airframe hours
- 2,978
- Engine
- Allison 250-C28, 435 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Minuteman Aviation, doing business as [Ems]
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 5, 1985 · 75 hours before
- Destination
- Clearwater Jct, MT
- Airport
- MSO · Missoula
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,960 total · 128 in this make and model · 4,445 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSO, 4 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.