- Date
- September 22, 1999, 14:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Randolph, NY
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N17SPBell 206L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990922041079A
- Case key
- 47526
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain visual separation from the wires. A factor was sunglare.
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 pilot was conducting a drug eradication mission. He was flying in a valley, toward the sun, approximately 200 feet above ground level, when the helicopter struck utility wires. The towers, which supported the wires, were below the tree line. The wires were depicted on the current Detroit Sectional Aeronautical Chart.
Factual narrative
On September 22, 1999, about 1450 Eastern Daylight Time, a Bell 206L-1, N17SP, owned and operated by the New York State Police, was substantially damaged while maneuvering near Randolph, New York. The certificated commercial pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed Chautauqua County/Jamestown Airport, Jamestown, New York; destined for Troop A Headquarters Heliport, Batavia, New York. No flight plan was filed for the public use flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the Chief Pilot of the New York State Police, the pilot was conducting a drug erratication mission. The pilot was flying in a valley, approximately 200 feet above-ground-level, when the helicopter struck utility wires.
The pilot stated that he was flying into the sun, and did not see the utility wires. He added that before the accident, pilots were not required to wear helmets during their missions. After the accident, all pilots at the Troop A Headquarters were required to wear helmets.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, the main rotor blades and the tailboom separated. The helicopter subsequently impacted terrain, and the fuselage sustained impact damage. The Inspector further stated that the towers, which supported the wires, were below the tree line. The wires were depicted on the current Detroit Sectional Aeronautical Chart.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N17SP
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45351
- Airframe hours
- 6,142
- Engine
- Allison 250-C28B, 500 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Registered owner
- New York State Police
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 1, 1999 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- JHW · Jamestown, NY
- Destination
- 22NY · Batavia, NY
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,900 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 1,000 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JHW, 10 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.