- Date
- May 12, 1990, 18:10 local (May 13, 1990, 01:10 UTC)
- Place
- Carmel Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N75SHBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900512015569A
- Case key
- 26627
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 inadequate visual lookout and improper climb.
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 took off from a clear area in front of a private residence, and headed toward a valley. The helicopter accelerated in ground effect for about 370 feet utilizing an airspeed over altitude departure profile. It then flew directly into and severed two distribution power lines which were located about four feet above the elevation of the takeoff area. (The power poles were located at lower elevation terrain.) The main rotor blade tip, chin bubble and the tail rotor drive shaft were broken during the collision, and the pilot lost control. The helicopter veered 90 degrees to the right and crashed about one- quarter of a mile from the lines. The poles which supported the lines were located behind trees and were not visible from the takeoff area. Earlier in the day the pilot had made two local flights over the same area and the poles/lines were not noted, according to the pilot. The helicopter was not equipped with optional wire cutters.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75SH
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1719
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 370 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hendricks, Sidney J.
- Registered owner
- Sidney J. Hendricks
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- 056 · Novato, CA
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 10,769 total · 411 in this make and model · 62 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MRY, 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.