Bell 206B3 N38EA
17 June 1993 · Stoneyford, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 17 June 1993 at about 18:30 local time, a Bell 206B3 registered N38EA, operated by Smith Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near Stoneyford, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Stoneyford, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.2700, -122.4594
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B3
- Registration
- N38EA
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Smith Helicopters, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX93LA258
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
the pilot's inadequate compensation for the existing wind conditions during a hover operation. A factor in the accident was the high density altitude and the gusting, variable wind conditions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot said that he had established a hover in a mountain landing zone and was in the process of air taxiing to a point where the cargo could be unloaded. The pilot said that a gust of wind buffeted the helicopter and the tail rotor contacted a rise in the ground. The pilot said he then lost all yaw directional control and the helicopter settled hard into a creek, resulting in a buckle to the boom and damage to the internal skid attach structure.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206B3 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jan 1993 | Bell 206B3 | Brigham City, Utah, United States | South Coast Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jul 1993 | Bell 206B3 | Pine, Arizona, United States | United States Forest Service | Unknown | - |
| 3 Jan 1993 | Bell 206B3 | Ogden, Utah, United States | South Coast Helicopters | Fatal | 4 |
| 3 Apr 1994 | Bell 206B3 | Lamoille, Nevada, United States | El Aero Services | Fatal | 4 |
| 26 Jul 1992 | Bell 206B3 | Block 651A | Industrial Helicopters | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Oct 1994 | Bell 206B3 | Inver Grove Hts, Minnesota, United States | Roger A. Greenan | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 1993 | Cessna 310H | Lancaster, California, United States | Yehiem Konski | Fatal | 6 |
| 14 Nov 1993 | Cessna 182 | Colusa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 1993 | Cessna 172P | Sun City, California, United States | Hiser Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 31 Jul 1993 | Robinson R44 | El Monte, California, United States | Benjamin F. Venti, SR. | Fatal | 3 |
| 17 Nov 1993 | Piper PA-38-112 | Fresno, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jan 1993 | Beechcraft A35 | Tulare, California, United States | Rent and Lease Programs | Fatal | 2 |