- Date
- February 20, 1986, 09:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Meeker, CO
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N27387Aerospatiale SA315B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860220004799A
- Case key
- 16923
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
During the lift off the right skid toe of the helicopter caught a seismic cable which was covered by aprx 2 ft of snow. The plt stated he brought the acft to a hover after off loading 2 pax & started a right sideward hover. When the slack was out of the seismic cable, the helicopter rolled right, past the critical roll angle & encountered dynamic rollover. The main rotor blades contacted the ground as a result of the dynamic rollover.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N27387
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale SA315B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2625
- Airframe hours
- 2,373
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARTOUSTE IIIB, 562 lbs thrust, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Colorado Airlift, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Darrell J. Diderickses
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 1, 1985 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- CAG · Craig, CO
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,114 total · 300 in this make and model · 3,828 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °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.
Other investigations on N27387 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.