- Date
- November 20, 1991, 18:14 local (Nov 21, 1991, 02:14 UTC)
- Place
- Davis, CA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5011KBell 206BIII
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911120053109A
- Case key
- 27391
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 decision of the pilot to continue night low level flight in forecasted adverse weather conditions. Contributing to the accident was the foggy weather and dark night conditions which restricted the pilot's visual outlook.
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
A bell helicopter 206B iii collided with level terrain during night instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot contacted air traffic control twenty miles southeast of his destination reporting instrument meteorological conditions with low visibility in light rain showers. The pilot was unable to maintain VFR conditions and started to maneuver around the weather. A witness reported seeing the helicopter flying north, at an altitude below the level of an interstate highway. The helicopter had to climb to cross the interstate. The helicopter then descended, impacted the ground, and disintegrated. ATC reported lost radar contact with the helicopter. The search for the helicopter was impeded by local darkness and ground fog. The pilot's destination airport located eight nautical miles north of the accident site was reporting a temperature dewpoint spread of three degrees and calm winds.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5011K
- Reported as
- Bell 206BIII
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2580
- Airframe hours
- 7,949
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Aris Helicopter Ltd
- Registered owner
- Aris Helicopter Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- AAIP · November 20, 1991 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- SFO · San Francisco, CA
- Destination
- SMF · Sacramento, 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
- 35
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,058 total · 222 in this make and model · 815 as pilot in command · 189 in the last 90 days · 73 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SMF, 8 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.