- Date
- August 10, 2006, 22:43 local (Aug 11, 2006, 04:43 UTC)
- Place
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N206UHBell 206L-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060810014959A
- Case key
- 64330
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 failure of the pilot to maintain clearance by allowing the helicopter to drift backwards, resulting in its tail rotor striking a hangar.
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
While hovering prior to takeoff and waiting for company traffic to pass clear, the helicopter inadvertently drifted backward striking a hangar with its tail rotor, which resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.
Factual narrative
While hovering prior to takeoff and waiting for company traffic to pass clear, the helicopter inadvertently drifted backward striking a hangar with its tail rotor, which resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N206UH
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51167
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30P, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Air Methods Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SLC · Salt Lake City, UT
- Destination
- Toole, UT
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- SLC · Salt Lake City International
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
- 35
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 5,255 total · 353 in this make and model · 134 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 31, 2006, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 561 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.