Bell 206L-1 N4999N
6 June 1987 · Choteau, Montana, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 6 June 1987 at about 02:15 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N4999N, operated by Minuteman Aviation, was involved in an accident near Choteau, Montana, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 02:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Choteau, Montana, United States
- Coordinates
- 47.8592, -112.4400
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1
- Registration
- N4999N
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Minuteman Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Many Glacier → Great Falls
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN87FA147
People
4 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 EMS HELICOPTER WAS RETURNING TO GREAT FALLS, MT, ON 6/5/87 WHEN IT CRASHED. ITS OCCUPANTS HAD EARLIER PARTICIPATED IN A RESCUE SEMINAR AT MANY GLACIER, MT. THE WRECKAGE WAS NOT FOUND UNTIL 6/9/87. A VIDEO TAPE RECOVERED FROM THE WRECKAGE DISCLOSED THE HELICOPTER TO BE FOLLOWING A HERD OF BIG HORN SHEEP UP A 7000-FT MOUNTAIN SLOPE AND FLYING SLOWLY AT TREE-TOP LEVEL WHEN IT SUDDENLY YAWED TO THE RIGHT. TESTS MADE ON THE AUDIO PORTION OF THE VIDEO TAPE REVEALED MAIN/TAIL ROTOR RPM WAS AT 100% POWER UNTIL 3.5 SEC BEFORE END OF TAPE. AT THAT TIME MAIN/TAIL ROTOR RPM DROPPED TO 94%. EVIDENCE ALSO DISCLOSED HELICOPTER TO BE FLYING AT HIGH GROSS WEIGHT, HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, AND WITH A TAILWIND.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Mar 1987 | Bell 206B | Austin, Texas, United States | Omni Flight, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jun 1987 | Bell 206L-1 | Winter Haven, Florida, United States | All American Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 19 Nov 1987 | Bell 206B III | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Aero West Management Services | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Jan 1987 | Bell 206L-1 | Pollockville, North Carolina, United States | Omniflight Airways, Inc. | Fatal | 4 |
| 10 Dec 1987 | Bell 206L-3 | Little Rock, Arkansas, United States | Central Flying Service | Unknown | - |
| 19 Nov 1987 | Bell 206L-3 | Rialto, California, United States | William Lyon Company | Serious injuries | - |
All 1,732 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 1987 | Cessna A185F | Glasgow, Montana, United States | Steve Bell | No injuries | - |
| 21 Oct 1987 | Beechcraft C35 | Ekalaka, Montana, United States | Strode, Donald L. | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Nov 1987 | Cessna 182RG | Boulder, Montana, United States | Berg-Branaham Flying Service | No injuries | - |
| 27 Nov 1987 | Cessna 170B | Conner, Montana, United States | Lowell RAY Honey, JR. | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Dec 1987 | Cessna 177RG | Great Falls, Montana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Mar 1987 | Piper PA-31-350 | Missoula, Montana, United States | Bighorn Airways, Inc. | No injuries | - |