- Date
- June 20, 2007, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sand Springs, OK
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N196TVBell BH206B-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- FAA report
- 20070620009859A
- Case key
- 66028
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 clearance with ground obstacles, which resulted in a blade strike. A contributing factor was the low altitude selected by the pilot.
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 3,354-hour commercial helicopter pilot reported that a main rotor blade collided with a satellite dish that was mounted atop the satellite truck from a television station. The pilot reported that the local flight originated at the home base airport about 15 minutes earlier. The pilot picked-up a camera operator at the requested site. The camera man boarded the helicopter and was seated on the right rear seat. The purpose of the flight was to film a television commercial for the television station showing the helicopter and the satellite truck working together as a news gathering team. The helicopter was reported to have made a series of low passes over the satellite truck. A ground crew was located nearby to film the flybys by the helicopter. The helicopter was reported to have pitched-up sharply after the main rotor came in contact with the satellite dish. The helicopter subsequently impacted the ground in a right skid-low attitude and came to rest on it's right-side. The main rotor system and the tail boom separated from the airframe during the impact sequence. There was no fire. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the cameraman was uninjured. Both occupants were able to egress the helicopter unassisted. Weather at the airport, 53 minutes after the accident, was reported as winds from 090 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 10 statute miles with light rain, temperature 25 degrees Celsius, dew point 19 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 30.14 inches of Mercury.
Factual narrative
The 3,354-hour commercial helicopter pilot reported that a main rotor blade collided with a satellite dish that was mounted atop the satellite truck from a television station. The pilot reported that the local flight originated at the home base airport about 15 minutes earlier. The pilot picked-up a camera operator at the requested site. The camera man boarded the helicopter and was seated on the right rear seat. The purpose of the flight was to film a television commercial for the television station showing the helicopter and the satellite truck working together as a news gathering team. The helicopter was reported to have made a series of low passes over the satellite truck. A ground crew was located nearby to film the flybys by the helicopter. The helicopter was reported to have pitched-up sharply after the main rotor came in contact with the satellite dish. The helicopter subsequently impacted the ground in a right skid-low attitude and came to rest on it's right-side. The main rotor system and the tail boom separated from the airframe during the impact sequence. There was no fire. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the cameraman was uninjured. Both occupants were able to egress the helicopter unassisted. Weather at the airport, 53 minutes after the accident, was reported as winds from 090 degrees at 10 knots, visibility 10 statute miles with light rain, temperature 25 degrees Celsius, dew point 19 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 30.14 inches of Mercury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N196TV
- Reported as
- Bell BH206B-3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2758
- Airframe hours
- 10,953
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Griffin Capital Corp
- Registered owner
- Griffen Capital Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 1, 2007
- Departed
- RVS · Tulsa, OK
- Destination
- 0F8 · Sand Springs, OK
- Airport
- 0F8 · William R. Pogue Muni, runway 17, 5,800 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 46
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2007
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,354 total · 2,630 in this make and model · 3,354 as pilot in command · 95 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- TUL, 10 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.