Bell 206B N1498W

Summary

On 21 January 1986 at about 10:25 local time, a Bell 206B registered N1498W was involved in an accident near Ellendale, Minnesota, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

21 January 1986 at 10:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Ellendale, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

43.8696, -93.3007

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N1498W

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Minneapolis → Austin

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CHI86MA071

3 people died.

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 PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO TAKE A NEWS CREW TO A LOCATION TO COVER A STORY. THE NEWS CREW HAD ATTEMPTED TO HIRE ANOTHER HELICOPTER, BUT THAT OPERATOR REFUSED DUE TO FORCAST LOW VISIBILITY. THIS PLT, HOWEVER, AGREED TO FLY. ALTHO HE WAS CERTIFIED FOR INTRUMENT FLT IN AIRPLANES, THE PLT WAS NOT QUALIFIED FOR INSTUMENT FLT IN HELICOPTERS, NOR WAS THEHELICOPTER CERTIFIED FOR INSTRUMENT FLT. DURING A WX BRIEFING, THE PLT WAS ADVISED OF ADVERSE WX COND. WHILE N1498W WAS IN FLT, 2 WITNESSES OBSD A HELICOPTER FLYING ALONG A HIWAY ON THE PLT'S PLANNED ROUTE AT A VERY LOW ALT. A TRUCK DRIVER ESTIMATED THE ACFT HAD PASSED APRX 2' OVR HIS 13' RIG; HE SAID HE COULD FEEL THE DOWNWASH FM THE ROTOR BLADES. WITNESSESESTIMATED THE CEILING TO BE AT OR BELOW 100' AGL & THE VISIBILITY TO BE 1/8 TO 1/4 MI WITH HVY FOG. THE HELICOPTER CRASHED & BURNED APRX 100' FM THE HIWAY NEAR A PWR LINE CROSSING. IMPACT OCCURRED WHILE THE HELICOPTER WAS IN A SHALLOW DSCNT, HDG AWAY FM THE HIWAY & PARALLEL WITH THE PWR LINE. WRECKAGE WAS NOT FND UNTIL 1150 CST. NO ELT WAS INSTALLED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.