- Date
- March 13, 1983, 01:30 local (08:30 UTC)
- Place
- Escalon, CA
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N90329Bell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 23565
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
The helicopter collided with a small tree about 8 ft high during a forced landing at night after a power loss. The collision broke the tail boom and a hard landing caused the failure of a landing skid and damaged the main rotor. The plt had taken two friends for a night flt and after a short flight the engine quit. The forced landing followed. During the post accident investigation the fuel in the acft was found to be dirty. Because of a fuel bypass that permitscontinous fuel flow to the engine bypassing the main fuel filter fuel contamination was not considered to be a critical factor in this instance.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90329
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2950
- Airframe hours
- 2,165
- Engine
- Allison C-20, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thunderbird Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Mark Twain Leasing Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 12, 1983 · 92 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,193 total · 2,150 in this make and model · 2,150 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None