- Date
- August 10, 1986
- Place
- Grangeville, ID
- Injuries
- 5 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1083ZBell 206L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860810078039A
- Case key
- 40472
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 plt was on an emergency medical service (ems/medivac) flt to transport survivors from an airplane accident. He landed at night on a ridge about 1/4 mi from the airplane crash site. At about 2400 MDT, the plt attempted to takeoff from the remote, confined landing area with 2 emergency medical technicians (emt's), a sheriff & a burn victim aboard. The plt started a straight ahead climb over a ridge, but paused, then did a rudder turn. As he started to takeoff downwind in light & variable winds, he lost visual reference with the ground. Subsequently, the helicopter began moving backwards & the tail rotor contacted a tree. The helicopter then crashed on downsloping terrain & lodged against a tree.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1083Z
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4150
- Airframe hours
- 1,389
- Engine
- Allison 250-C-28B, 435 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Minuteman Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1986
- Destination
- Grangeville, ID
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,270 total · 197 in this make and model · 3,171 as pilot in command · 118 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.