ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 66106
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| Date: | Thursday 2 July 2009 |
| Time: | 15:15 |
| Type: |  Bell 206L-1 LongRanger II |
| Owner/operator: | Mile High Helicopter Company |
| Registration: | N38AZ |
| MSN: | 45748 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1982 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 13092 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C30P |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Near Blue Lakes Dam, Breckenridge, Colorado -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | External load operation |
| Departure airport: | Englewood, CO (KAPA) |
| Breckenridge, CO | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter was conducting external load operations at an estimated density altitude of 14,000 to 14,500 feet. While manuvering to the landing zone, the helicopter began to lose tail rotor effectiveness. The commercial pilot was unable to regain control of the helicopter prior to impacting sloping terrain. Substantial damaged was sustained to the helicopter's fuselage and the pilot was seriously injured. Using an estimate total gross weigh of 3,600 pounds (3,000 pounds for the helicopter plus internal load and 600 pounds for the external load), the helicopter would have been operating in the Area B section of the Out of Ground Effect (OGE) Hover Ceiling chart and is subject to the Critical Relative Wind Azimuth chart that lists a wind avoid area between 050-210°. This density altitude combined with the helicopter's weight placed the helicopter's performance in the "Critical Wind Azimuth Area." Convective activity in the area of the accident would have produced varying wind directions with gusts up to 30 knots.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while maneuvering due to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to monitor wind direction while operating in the "Critical Wind Azimuth Area."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 20 September 1986 | N111GF | Miami Helicopter Serv.inc. | 0 | Atlantic Ocean, AO | |
non |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Jul-2009 00:47 | slowkid | Added |
| 03-Jul-2009 01:04 | slowkid | Updated |
| 06-Jul-2009 10:20 | slowkid | Updated |
| 06-Sep-2014 13:58 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Operator, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 02-Dec-2017 15:46 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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