- Date
- June 19, 1985, 17:15 local (Jun 20, 1985, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Squaw Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N214RMBell 214B-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850619074929A
- Case key
- 24516
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 was engaged in lowering a large pole to the ground when the eng failed catastrophically due to a total first turbine rotor disc failure. The plt turned the acft down the mountain but was unable to gain enough speed to autorotate. The acft impacted at an angle and burned. No parts of the first turbine rotor disc were recovered, therefore, a failure mode could not be determined. The disc had accumulated 2776 cycles at the time of the accident. Lycoming service bulletin no. 5508-0002 reports the service life limit for the disc is 2700 cycles. An eng teardown revealed nothing else wrong with the eng that could have contributed to its failure other than the first turbine rotor disc disintegration.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N214RM
- Reported as
- Bell 214B-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 28001
- Airframe hours
- 8,455
- Engine
- Lycoming T5508D, 2,050 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 133
- Registered owner
- Rocky Mountain Helicoperts Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · June 17, 1985 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- RLA · Squaw Valley, CA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 12,247 total · 3,047 in this make and model · 250 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVL, 19 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.