- Date
- September 2, 1990, 12:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Canon City, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N73957Bell 47G-3B1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900902038109A
- Case key
- 17986
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate pattern altitude and the possible existence of adverse winds due to the surrounding terrain.
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 collided with power lines while on a downwind to the helipad. According to witnesses, the helicopter was travelling perpendicular to an electrical transmission line at about 60 knots when it collided with the top of a two wire set at about 30 feet AGL. Paint transfer from the t/r skid was found on the damaged power line. After striking the wire the t/r separated at the gear box mounting flange; small pieces of the t/r blade were found on the ground below the point of initial wire contact. The pilot stated that during the downwind climbing turn after takeoff, and while passing over a gully near a 6,200-FT ridge, he had an encounter with windshear at 230 feet AGL which resulted in loss of 200 feet and the subsequent collision. The existence of the reported 'windshear', or possible downdraft could not be verified.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73957
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2827
- Engine
- Allison 250C20B, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tracie Crocker
- Airport
- NONE · Brown'S Fort Helipad
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 180 in this make and model · 1,550 as pilot in command · 322 in the last 90 days · 160 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 10 knots, gusting 6
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Observed at
- PUB, 44 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.