- Date
- January 13, 1985, 09:10 local (17:10 UTC)
- Place
- Yerington, NV
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3185ZBell 206BIII
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850113000619A
- Case key
- 40027
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The plt made an en route emergency landing due to deteriorated wx. After waiting some period of time, a takeoff was attempted but the helicopter was unable to become airborne. The helicopter bounced down hilly terrain and rolled over to the left. Wx at the time of the accident consisted of freezing temps, fog and snow grains. The helicopter was found to be loaded over the max gross weight which combined with ice on the rotor blades and in the air intake resulted in a reduced power output during the attempted takeoff.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3185Z
- Reported as
- Bell 206BIII
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3804
- Airframe hours
- 314
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20J, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- William Meyers, doing business as Meri Helicopters Inc
- Registered owner
- Meri Helicopters. Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 29, 1984 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- RNO · Reno, NV
- Destination
- 043 · Ione, NV
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 49
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 14 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 26 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.