Aviation Crash Map

Bell 206B III N580P

1 March 1982 · Alma, Colorado, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 1 March 1982 at about 14:30 local time, a Bell 206B III registered N580P, operated by Public Service Co. of Co., was involved in an accident near Alma, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

The record

Date
at 14:30
Classification
Accident
Location
Alma, Colorado, United States
Coordinates
Not recorded
Aircraft
Bell 206B III
Registration
N580P
Category
Helicopter
Engines
1
Operator
Public Service Co. of Co.
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Business
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Denver → Leadville
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
DEN82DA037

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
2 0 0 0 2

Probable cause

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN UNEVENTFUL AND ALL INSTRUMENTS WERE READING NORMAL EXCEPT THE TOT GAUGE. REPORTEDLY, IT WAS INDICATING 750 DEGREES, WHICH WAS ABOUT 100 DEGREES HIGHER THAN NORMAL FOR HIS POWER SETTING OF 70% TORQUE. HE STATED HE WAS FLYING AT 70 KNOTS WHEN THE HELICOPTER STARTED LOOSING RPM. THE PASSENGER STATED THAT THEY WERE ABOUT 200 TO 300 FT ABOVE A RIDGE AS THEY WERE FLYING SOUTHWEST. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT AFTER THEY CROSSED THE RIDGE, THE HELICOPTER BEGAN LOSING ALTITUDE FAST. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THEY WERE COMING UP ON A RIDGE LINE, WHEN THE RPM BEGAN DROPPING; HOWEVER, HE WAS UNABLE TO DECELERATE ENOUGH TO LAND ON TOP OF THE RIDGE. THE HELICOPTER CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND ON THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE RIDGE LINE AND CRASHED. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE AIR BLEED VALVE WAS DIRTY AND HAD A HOLE IN THE DIAPHRAGM. IN THIS CONDITION, THE VALVE WOULD CLOSE LATE. THE ELEVATION WAS ABOUT 12,000 FT MSL, WIND GUSTING 30 KNOTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Bell 206 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
16 Jan 1982 Bell 206L-1
N1081H
Houma, Louisiana, United States Offshore Logistics Fatal 1
22 Nov 1982 Bell 206B
N144AL
Buccaneer Oil F
no coordinates
Air Logistics Fatal 1
21 Nov 1982 Bell 206B
N5011G
Near Kalispell, Montana, United States
no coordinates
Mountain West Helicopters No injuries -
16 Mar 1982 Bell 206 L-1
N1069S
Delta Junction, Alaska, United States Air Logistics of Alaska, Inc. Minor injuries -
8 Dec 1982 Bell 206B
N2752Y
Larkspur, Colorado, United States Koa-Tv Channel 4 Fatal 2
24 Feb 1982 Bell 206B
N2272D
Watrous, New Mexico, United States Doolittle Enterprises Inc. Fatal 1

All 1,732 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
12 Mar 1982 Cessna 172
N733DU
Broomfield, Colorado, United States John A. Meyer No injuries -
22 May 1982 Beechcraft V35A
N6242V
Colorado Spring, Colorado, United States
no coordinates
Edward L. Walsh No injuries -
22 Jul 1982 American AA5B
N28218
Broomfield, Colorado, United States Rainbow Aviation Inc. Minor injuries -
17 Jun 1982 Cessna 172
N737VH
Colorado Spring, Colorado, United States
no coordinates
Chesley M. Louitt No injuries -
20 Aug 1982 Quicksilver MXII
N3149Z
Broomfield, Colorado, United States Jamee J. Andersen Serious injuries -
24 Jun 1982 Schweizer SGS 1-34
N7642
Colorado Spring, Colorado, United States
no coordinates
Dennis Pollard No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States