- Date
- January 20, 1994, 13:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Cascade, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3211KBell 206L-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940120000639A
- Case key
- 18992
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 improper in-flight planning which resulted in the aircraft's yaw performance being exceeded. A factor was the high density altitude.
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 pilot made a low pass over pikes peak (14,110 feet MSL) to allow his passenger to take some photographs and for him to check the wind conditions. He first made a left 360 degree circular pass, then set up a low approach into the wind and began a slow descent. The pilot said that at an altitude of about 40 to 60 feet above the terrain, he 'lost control in the yaw axis only,' and the helicopter made two or three rotations before striking the ground and rolling over.
Factual narrative
On January 20, 1994, at approximately 1340 mountain standard time, N3211K, a Bell 206L-3, impacted terrain at the top of 14,110 foot Pikes Peak, near Cascade, Colorado. The pilot and a pilot rated passenger were not injured, but the helicopter was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company VFR flight plan had been filed for the ferry flight.
While en route from Broomfield to Pueblo, Colorado, the pilot decided to make a low pass over Pikes Peak to allow his passenger to take some photographs and for him to check the wind conditions. He first made a left 360 degree circular pass, then set up a low approach into the wind and began a slow descent. He said at an altitude of about 40 and 60 feet above the terrain, he "lost control in the yaw axis only," and the helicopter made two or three rotations before striking the ground and rolling over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3211K
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51126
- Airframe hours
- 3,167
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30P, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Puget Sound Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Mitsui & Company USA, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 15, 1994 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- BJC · Broomfield, CO
- Destination
- PUB · Pueblo, 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
- 47
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 23,000 total · 210 in this make and model · 19,000 as pilot in command · 210 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 10 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.