- Date
- October 31, 1985, 18:50 local (Nov 1, 1985, 00:50 UTC)
- Place
- Mansfield, MO
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N27689Bell 206L-1
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851031071639A
- Case key
- 34047
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
After departing west plains hospital for springfield, transferring a critically injured patient, the plt of the EMS helicopter began to encounter deteriorating weather. The plt was concerned about the close spread of temperature and dew point, but had adequate ceilings and visibilities along his route of flt to continue. After cresting a hill west of Mansfield, Missouri, along Missouri hwy 60, the plt encountered lowering ceilings and light fog. The plt stated he did not like the condition of the weather after passing the hill and initiated a right turn to proceed back to Mansfield. Power lines were impacted by the helicopter immediately after the plt initiated the turn. The plt did not realize that he had descended low enough to strike the power lines that were obscured in fog and low clouds.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N27689
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45289
- Airframe hours
- 2,929
- Engine
- Allison 250C-28, 435 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Air Evac Ems
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 17, 1985 · 76 hours before
- Departed
- H63 · West Plains, MO
- Destination
- SPF · Springfield, MO
- Flight plan
- 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
- 52
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,377 total · 1,836 in this make and model · 7,105 as pilot in command · 131 in the last 90 days · 81 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SPF, 32 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.