- Date
- February 6, 1996, 11:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Barstow, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N16726Bell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 10, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960206010299A
- Case key
- 29439
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 to maintain adequate terrain clearance, while maneuvering around a ground vehicle at low altitude.
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 was transporting a producer and a cameraman for the purpose of photographing an automobile on a dry lake bed. According to the pilot, he proceeded to orbit around the forward moving car from an initial altitude between 50 and 100 feet above ground level, with an airspeed between 40 and 50 knots. The orbit was about 1/2 completed and the helicopter was starting to 'come up' behind the car, when the helicopter entered a descent. The pilot was unable to arrest the descent with aft cyclic and full engine power. Subsequently, the helicopter contacted the ground and was damaged. The local wind was reported to be less than 5 knots. Reportedly, there was no mechanical malfunction of the helicopter.
Factual narrative
On February 6, 1996, at 1145 hours Pacific standard time, a Bell 206B, N16726, operated by West Coast Helicopters, Inc., descended into terrain while maneuvering during a photographic assignment at the Coyote Dry Lake, about 15 nautical miles north of Barstow, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was substantially damaged, and neither the commercial pilot nor the two passengers were injured. The flight originated from the Coyote Dry Lake at 1115.
According to the pilot, during the flight a producer occupied the helicopter's left front seat, and a cameraman occupied the right rear seat. The purpose of the flight was to film a car commercial. The pilot stated that he initially was flying between 50 and 100 feet above ground level.
The pilot reported that when the accident sequence began he was flying between 40 and 50 knots, and was maneuvering in a right orbit around a forward moving car. When the orbit was about 1/2 completed and he was starting to come up behind the car, the helicopter entered a nose low descent. The pilot further reported that he was unable to arrest the descent utilizing full aft cyclic and full engine power. The helicopter contacted the ground in a nose low attitude with little forward airspeed.
At the time, the local wind was less than 5 knots. The pilot stated that no mechanical malfunctions were experienced with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16726
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2122
- Airframe hours
- 5,822
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- West Coast Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Boyd P. Kelly
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 9, 1995 · 98 hours before
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,700 total · 163 in this make and model · 2,600 as pilot in command · 174 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N16726 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.