# NTSB MIA96TA236: Bell 206B III, N2113Z, Flamingo, FL, September 30, 1996 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Final report - Date: September 30, 1996, 12:15 local (16:15 UTC) - Place: Flamingo, FL - Coordinates: 25.270622, -80.629051 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=25.2706&lon=-80.6291&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 31, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 38101 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA96TA236 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/38101/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA96TA236 ## Probable cause the wire strike protection guide became entangled in a mangrove branch which resulted in helicopter control not being maintained. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Nose down, hover - misc rotorcraft - entangled (cause) - aircraft control - not obtained/maintained, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, hover - terrain condition - high vegetation - terrain condition - hidden obstruction(s) - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis This flight was on a mission of taking water samples in the everglades. The pilots stated that while taking off from a level site, covered with about 4-6 inches of water, and moderately covered with mangrove vegetation, the wire strike protection guide 'made contact with a mangrove plant branch...causing the nose to pitch down while the helicopter was trying to transition to forward flight.' The helicopter rolled to the right causing the rotor blade to strike the ground. The National Park Service (NPS) was providing flight following for the flight, and the pilot was to report every 15 minutes. The flight had 7 minutes remaining before the next report was to be made, when the accident occurred. What was not known to the pilot was, the flight following dispatcher had closed after the last report, and the pilot was not notified of the situation. The helicopter's emergency transmitter locator (ELT) did not operate after the crash, and no one was aware of the accident until a ground crew member became concerned when he had not heard from the flight for about 5 hours. The ground crew member checked with NPS personnel, and expressed his concern. The occupants stayed with the wreckage until about 1845, when they were rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. Examination and a functional test on the ELT revealed that the 'ON-OFF-ARM' switch was not working. Disassembly of the ELT did not expose the interior of the switch, and there was no determination made on why the switch malfunctioned. ## Factual narrative On September 30, 1996, about 1215 eastern daylight time, a Bell 206B III helicopter, N2113Z, registered to the United States Department of the Interior, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91, public-use flight, crashed in the vicinity of Flamingo, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The airline transport pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight originated at the Everglades National Park, about 0700. This flight was on a mission for the United States Geological Survey, taking water samples in the Florida everglades. According to the pilot's statement: "While taking off from a level site, covered with about 4-6 inches of water and moderately covered with mangrove vegetation, the wire strike protection guide made contact with a mangrove plant branch. This caused the nose to pitch down while the helicopter was trying to transition to forward flight. The helicopter also rolled to the right causing the rotor blade to strike the ground." The National Park Service (NPS) was providing flight following for the flight, and the pilot was to report every 15 minutes. The NPS had been provided with the starting geographic coordinates, and subsequent coordinates before starting each leg. The crew had indicated to NPS flight following personnel that the flight would be west to east, collecting data at 400 meter intervals. In addition, NPS was alerted when and where the flight would land for fuel. The flight had 7 minutes remaining before the next report was to be made, when the accident occurred. What was not known to the pilot was, the NPS dispatcher had closed after the last report, and the pilot was not notified of the situation. The helicopter's emergency transmitter locator (ELT) did not operate after the crash, and no one was aware of the accident, until a ground crew member became concerned when he had not heard from the flight for about 5 hours. The ground crew member checked with NPS personnel, and expressed his concern. The occupants stayed with the helicopter until about 1845, when they were rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. Examination and a functional test on the ELT from this helicopter revealed that the "ON-OFF-ARM" switch was not working. Disassembly of the ELT did not expose the interior of the switch, and there was no determination made on why the switch malfunctioned. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2113Z](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2113Z-2013-08-22), registration cancelled 2013-08-22, S/N 4067, built 1989 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Bell 206B III - Registry model: [Bell 206B](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (registry code 1181511) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Allison 250-C20 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (registry code 03020, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 4067 - Airframe hours: 2671 - Engines: Allison C20J 425 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Public aircraft, Part 91 - Registered owner: US Department Of The Interior - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, September 29, 1996, 7 hours before - Departed: LNA, LANTANA, FL - Flight plan: Company VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 43; flight instructor, airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter, airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 10,000 total, 2,900 in this make and model, 8,700 as pilot in command, 60 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 135° at 12 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 88 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19960930030439A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960930030439A), Sep 30, 1996: Bell 206B, Homestead, FL, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot states that he was in a 2 foot hover doing GPS work for department of interior. When he moved forward the low wire protection system struck a… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.