- Date
- September 9, 1987, 11:38 local (18:38 UTC)
- Place
- Vallejo, CA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1082SBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870909069299A
- Case key
- 25425
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
While performing a routine aerial observation flight to inspect the integrity of the pacific gas & electric company's transmission lines, the helicopter crashed after colliding with an unmarked static wire. The line installation was on sloping terrain & consisted of 3 towers. The severed static line was supported by towers having higher elevations. The plt failed to detect & avoid the elevated static line. Pg & e failed to provide the plt with advance notice of the hazardous & somewhat unique line configuration.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1082S
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2902
- Airframe hours
- 5,046
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Commodore Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Commodore Helicopters, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 7, 1987 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- APC · Napa, CA
- 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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,817 total · 2,300 in this make and model · 5,300 as pilot in command · 97 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.