- Date
- September 22, 1985, 10:10 local (14:10 UTC)
- Place
- Chalkhill, PA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N32TVBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850922046639A
- Case key
- 35584
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
The helicopter was being used on an external load operation with a 100 ft cable attached. When a 618 lb load was ready to be moved, the plt started the eng, lifted off & moved the helicopter to a hover over the load. The loaders hooked the load to the cable & gave the plt a signal to depart, then they noticed the cable was drooped over the aft part of the left skid. The crew tried to signal the plt, but as the helicopter lifted the load, it began moving in a rearward & left turning, pendulous motion. Subsequently, the helicopter crashed nearly inverted onto wooded terrain. After the acdnt, the 100 ft cable was above the helicopter in a tree & extended to where it was wrapped around another tree. All of the circuit breakers were found open. The cargo hook had a manual & an electrical release. The cargo hook was torn from the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N32TV
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1112
- Airframe hours
- 4,898
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Operator
- Northwest Helicopter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 16, 1985 · 77 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,500 total · 2,200 in this make and model · 8,000 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.