- Date
- November 19, 1987, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Albuquerque, NM
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1073NBell 206B III
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871119069099A
- Case key
- 17418
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
While attempting to retrieve a parachute retarded rocket that came to rest in a tree by hooking the right front skid shoe under the chute, the parachute got hung up in the tree. The helicopter lifted the rocket approx 6 ft into the air before it swung into the lower branches of the tree. The acft rolled right and impacted the ground in an approx 45 degree nose low attitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1073N
- Reported as
- Bell 206B III
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2881
- Airframe hours
- 2,940
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20J, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Operator
- Aero West Management Services
- Registered owner
- Elk Mountain Helicopter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 1, 1987 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- 4AC · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- Sandia Labs, NM
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
- 49
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,463 total · 950 in this make and model · 8,349 as pilot in command · 59 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ABQ, 5 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.