ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 42659
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| Date: | Tuesday 12 July 1994 |
| Time: | 16:05 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 206L-3 LongRanger III |
| Owner/operator: | Usda Forest Service |
| Registration: | N3178B |
| MSN: | 51033 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1983 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4479 hours |
| Engine model: | ALLISON 250-C30P |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Mimbres, NM -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Taxi |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE USDA TO TRANSPORT FIRE FIGHTERS TO A FIRE. THE TWO SURVIVORS STATED THAT FOLLOWING A DOWNWIND APPROACH TO A PINNACLE ON A 9,520-FT MSL RIDGE LINE, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO BRING THE HELICOPTER TO A HOVER ABOUT 20 FT ABOVE THE LANDING AREA. THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER APPEARED HIGHER THAN NORMAL DURING THE FINAL PHASE OF THE APPROACH. THE HELICOPTER THEN ASSUMED A VERY HIGH NOSE ATTITUDE AND APPEARED TO START SLIDING BACKWARDS, FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF CONTROL AND CONTACT WITH TREES. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 13,200 FT. THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT WAS CALCULATED TO HAVE BEEN 3,750 POUNDS. UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF NO WIND, 9,520 FT PRESSURE ALTITUDE, AND 32 DEG C, THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT FOR HOVER IN AND OUT OF GROUND EFFECT WAS COMPUTED TO BE 3,580 AND 3,515 LBS RESPECTIVELY.
Probable Cause: THE PILOT'S IMPROPER DECISION TO ATTEMPT TO HOVER OUT OF GROUND EFFECT UNDER ADVERSE CONDITIONS WHILE EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE WEIGHT FOR THAT MANEUVER. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND THE TAILWIND.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW94GA232
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 01-May-2022 08:26 | Ron Averes | Updated [Operator] |
| 12-Nov-2022 02:45 | Ron Averes | Updated [Operator, Nature] |
| 29-May-2023 22:04 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Operator, Nature]] |
| 24-Sep-2023 05:36 | Ron Averes | Updated [[[Operator, Nature]]] |
| 14-Nov-2023 04:06 | Ron Averes | Updated [Operator] |
| 10-Apr-2024 06:03 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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