- Date
- December 20, 1985, 18:55 local (Dec 21, 1985, 00:55 UTC)
- Place
- Ainsworth, NE
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N110LGBell 206L
- Weather
- Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851220065159A
- Case key
- 34056
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
This med-evac helicopter was being positioned to pick up a patient. The plt obtained a wx briefing which included a forecast for a chance of marginal VMC along the planned route, although at the time of the briefing the dest weather was VMC. The flt departed at about sundown and the dest wx deteriorated while the flt was enroute. Witnesses near the acdt site, which was 23 NM se of the dest. Reported freezing rain and/or wet snow falling as the helicopter flew past their ranches at low alt heading nw. It was completely dark at the time of the acdt and the area where the acdt occurred is sparsley populated providing few ground lights for visual ref. The helicopter crashed in hilly, snow covered terrain in a near vertical, nose low attitude and was destroyed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N110LG
- Reported as
- Bell 206L
- Category
- Helicopter
- Airframe hours
- 3,625
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ronald D. Rodgers
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 12, 1985 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- EAR · Kearney, NE
- Destination
- Ainsworth, NE
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
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,264 total · 271 in this make and model · 1,834 as pilot in command · 67 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Night/dark
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANW, 23 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.