Aviation Crash Map

Bell 206B N50PE

27 February 1994 · Agua Dulce, California, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 27 February 1994 at about 19:00 local time, a Bell 206B registered N50PE, operated by Helinet, Inc., was involved in an accident near Agua Dulce, California, United States. 4 people were 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 19:00
Classification
Accident
Location
Agua Dulce, California, United States
Coordinates
34.4296, -118.5102
Aircraft
Bell 206B
Registration
N50PE
Category
Helicopter
Engines
1
Operator
Helinet, Inc.
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Instructional
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Van Nuys → Unknown
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
LAX94LA139

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
4 0 0 0 4

Probable cause

THE CFI'S SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN TO DEMONSTRATE A SIMULATED AUTOROTATION. THE SOFT TERRAIN WAS A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE CFI WAS DEMONSTRATING A HOVERING AUTOROTATION TO THE DUAL STUDENT. BEFORE BEGINNING THE AUTOROTATION, THE CFI FAILED TO ASSURE THE LANDING SURFACE WAS HARD PACKED AND NOT SOFT. WHEN THE HELICOPTER WAS BETWEEN 3- AND 5-FEET SKID HEIGHT ABOVE THE GROUND, THE CFI CLOSED THE THROTTLE AND LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD. THE HELICOPTER SLID ABOUT 5 FEET BEFORE THE LANDING SKIDS DUG INTO THE SOFT TERRAIN, NOSING THE HELICOPTER DOWN. THE HELICOPTER'S MAIN ROTOR BLADES SEVERED THE TAILBOOM ASSEMBLY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Bell 206 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
17 Feb 1994 Bell 206L-3
N81427
Oro Grande, California, United States California Highway Patrol Unknown -
5 May 1994 Bell 206B
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Overton, Nevada, United States US Army Corps of Engineers Unknown -
26 Jun 1994 Bell 206-B3
N444EB
Indian Springs, Nevada, United States United States Air Force Unknown -
1 Jul 1994 Bell 206-B3
N10800
Tucson, Arizona, United States U.s. Forest Service Unknown -
18 Aug 1994 Bell 206B-III
N8NU
Yreka, California, United States US Forest Service Unknown -
4 Jan 1994 Bell 206B
N771GM
Coolidge Dam, Arizona, United States
no coordinates
Southwest Helicopters, Inc. Fatal 1

All 1,732 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
17 Sep 1994 Piper PA-28R-201
N30150
Fort Bragg, California, United States Sundance Flying Club Serious injuries -
12 May 1994 Schweizer G-164B
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no coordinates
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3 Sep 1994 Cessna T210L
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13 May 1994 Maule M-5-235C
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Columbia, California, United States White, James L. No injuries -
19 May 1994 Cessna 150L
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23 Sep 1994 Robinson R-22
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All 170,864 records in United States