- Date
- February 11, 1992, 18:35 local (Feb 12, 1992, 01:35 UTC)
- Place
- Wellington, UT
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N5003UBell 206B
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920211002629A
- Case key
- 41569
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather conditions and an excessive rate of descent. Factors contributing to the accident were fog, rain, low ceilings, night conditions, snow covered terrain and pilot disorientation.
Analysis
The non instrument rated, 371 hour pilot departed eagle, Colorado, in his bell 206B helicopter after receiving a VFR not recommended update to his weather briefing. Witnesses along the route of flight and at the accident site reported fog and poor visibility, precipitation, low ceilings, night conditions and snow covered ground. The pilot initially requested that his wife meet the helicopter at a location short of the destination but subsequently departed the roadside landing site after relaying instructions through his passenger for her to position her vehicle beneath power lines crossing the highway which continued to the destination airport. On site examination revealed that the skids had sustained extensive shattering damage and were confined to a small local area associated with the initial ground impact. The terrain at the ground impact site was uneven.
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
- N5003U
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2444
- Airframe hours
- 4,577
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Summit Helicopter Systems Inc.
- Registered owner
- Summit Helicopter Systems Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 11, 1992 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- EGE · Eagle, CO
- Destination
- PUC · Price, UT
- 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
- 37
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 371 total · 281 in this make and model · 253 as pilot in command · 77 in the last 90 days · 52 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft
- Temperature
- 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PUC, 7 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.