- Date
- March 2, 1992, 10:29 local (18:29 UTC)
- Place
- Glenbrook, NV
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N59613Bell 206BIII
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920302004859A
- Case key
- 27571
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
Failure of the pilot-in-command to follow the helicopter's performance data while translating out of translational lift to and out of ground effect.
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 began an uncommanded right turn while flying out of ground effect at about 20 knots forward airspeed with a density altitude of 6,875 ft. the pilot reported the winds to be from the helicopter's the right front when it started the uncommanded right turn. The pilot attempted to arrest the right turn but without success. The helicopter descended uncontrolled until it crashed into the lake. There were no reports of any preexisting mechanical failures or malfunctions that may have contributed to the loss of control. The pilots operating handbook (POH) warns pilots to exercise caution when operating at low airspeeds at high altitudes. The POH indicates that tailrotor control may be marginal when the relative wind is in the critical wind azimuth area which begins at the right front of the helicopter. The pilot failed to evaluate the helicopter's performance data before departing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59613
- Reported as
- Bell 206BIII
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1502
- Airframe hours
- 7,356
- Engine
- Allison 250C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Smith Helicopter, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Smith Helicopter, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 20, 1991 · 85 hours before
- Departed
- Tahoe City, 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
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,999 total · 950 in this make and model · 3,791 as pilot in command · 221 in the last 90 days · 68 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 18,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVL, 10 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.