- Date
- May 20, 1984, 19:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Georgetown, DE
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N75SPBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 35348
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 performing police patrol activities, the aircrew landed, refueled the helicopter, then took off to practice autorotative landings. Two autorotative landings were made on rwy 22, then 2 more were made on an adjacent grass area. After the 2nd landing on the grass, the plt started to take off again. He stated the helicopter was traveling level along the ground with very little weight on the skids at a speed of 5 to 10 mph. He then saw a drainage ditch, surrounded by hi grass, about 10 ft ahead. He applied power & increased the collective to clear the ditch. Reportedly, the sounds of the eng increased; however, the helicopter started to roll & yaw to the right. Also, the power was reportedly reduced to correct the yaw, but the helicopter's right skid contacted the turf, the acft rolled to the right & the main rotors contacted the ground. An exam of the eng & airframe were made, but no pre-crash, mechanical failure or malfunction was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75SP
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1716
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Delaware State Police
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 4, 1984 · 56 hours before
- Airport
- Sussex County
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,534 total · 919 in this make and model · 1,312 as pilot in command · 95 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBY, 22 nm away