- Date
- February 23, 1993, 17:25 local (23:25 UTC)
- Place
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N224TVBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930223003179A
- Case key
- 18702
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 passengers inadvertent control interference. A factor was the pilot's inadequate supervision of the passenger
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
A helicopter pilot allowed the passenger in the front seat of his helicopter to lightly ride the controls while he demonstrated the flight characteristics of the helicopter while at a 3 foot hover. The passenger applied too much pressure on the cyclic which caused the rear of the right skid to strike the ground while the helicopter was hovering sidewards. The stuck right skid created a pivot point for a dynamic rollover and the helicopter came to rest on its right side
Factual narrative
On February 23, 1993, at approximately 1725 central standard time, a Bell 206B helicopter, N224TV, was substantially damaged upon impact with terrain while hovering at the Downtown Airpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The instructor pilot sustained minor injuries, while his two passengers escaped uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the business flight.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the helicopter terminated a VFR flight from Shawnee, Oklahoma, and proceeded to a hover area at the airport to demonstrate basic hovering flight maneuvers to the passengers.
According to the pilot, he had the helicopter outfitted with dual controls in order to provide the front seat occupant of the helicopter with the feel of the helicopter. In a level, open area of the airpark, he proceeded to demonstrate the flight characteristics of the helicopter while hovering at 3 feet. The pilot stated that he allowed his friend in the front seat to lightly ride along on the controls. The passenger applied too much pressure to the cyclic causing the helicopter to drift to the left, followed by an overcorrection to the right, which the pilot was unable to override.
The pilot further stated that the rear of the right landing gear skid struck the ground, creating a pivot point for a "dynamic roll." The helicopter came to rest on its right side with its tailboom severed from the fuselage. All occupants exited the helicopter unassisted.
According to witnesses, the helicopter was observed hovering in an erratic fashion, making abrupt attitude and altitude changes. Just prior to the main rotor blades striking the ground, the helicopter was observed hovering backwards until the right rear skid tube impacted the ground.
The wreckage was released to the operator at the accident site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N224TV
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2482
- Airframe hours
- 3,601
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jonhnson, James P., doing business as Interstate Helicopters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Jonhnson, James P.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 20, 1993 · 7 hours before
- Airport
- 2DT · Downtown Airpark
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
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,243 total · 1,821 in this make and model · 6,168 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OKC, 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.