ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 318258
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| Date: | Friday 21 July 2023 |
| Time: | 11:05 |
| Type: |  Bell 206B JetRanger |
| Owner/operator: | Maine Helicopters Inc |
| Registration: | N9913K |
| MSN: | 2055 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1976 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Terra Alta, near Camp Dawson, WV -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Morgantown Airport, WV (MGW/KMGW) |
| Terra Alta, WV | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
On July 21, 2023, about 1105 eastern daylight time, a Bell 206B, N9913K, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Terra Alta, West Virginia. The pilot and a crewmember sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight.
After fueling the helicopter and checking the weather, the pilot and equipment operator departed Morgantown Municipal Airport/Walter L Bill Hart Field (MGW), Morgantown, West Virginia, about 1039 to survey power transmission lines in the local area. After completing one survey line, they topped a hill and were about 10 seconds into their descent toward the next power transmission line when the pilot felt a "push." He observed that the airspeed had dropped due to a tailwind. He lowered the collective and pushed the cyclic forward for airspeed; however, the helicopter continued to descend. The crewmember noted the helicopter’s altitude decreasing rapidly and advised the pilot to “go back up” about the same time as the pilot instructed the crewmember to brace himself. The crewmember reported that the helicopter spun clockwise yet avoided the power lines. The pilot “pulled up on the collective to cushion the landing” and the helicopter impacted the ground.
Examination of the accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the helicopter came to rest on its right side between the trees and the power transmission lines. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the cockpit was crushed, the skids had separated, and the main rotor had sheared off at that shaft.
The 1505 automated weather report from Garrett County Airport (2G4), Oakland, Maryland, located about 16 miles northeast of the accident site, included variable wind of 6 knots gusting to 13 knots. The 1505 weather at MGW included calm wind.
The helicopter was retained for further examination.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://trendingnewstoday.biz.id/wvsp-investigating-preston-county-helicopter-crash/
https://wvmetronews.com/2023/07/21/injuries-reported-in-helicopter-crash/
https://www.wboy.com/emergencies/2-injured-after-helicopter-crash-in-preston-county/
NTSB
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=9913K
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 13 August 1996 | N9913K | Maine Helicopters | 0 | Starks, ME | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Jul-2023 21:44 | Geno | Added |
| 22-Jul-2023 00:17 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 23-Jul-2023 05:36 | hmmptwizzle | Updated |
| 24-Jul-2023 15:56 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 24-Jul-2023 16:14 | johnwg | Updated |
| 24-Jul-2023 16:30 | Anon. | Updated |
| 24-Jul-2023 20:20 | Captain Adam | Updated |
| 11-Aug-2023 18:59 | Captain Adam | Updated |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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