Bell 206B N4604Y
9 August 1994 · Chuit River, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 9 August 1994 at about 20:30 local time, a Bell 206B registered N4604Y was involved in an accident near Chuit River, Alaska, United States. 5 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 20:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Chuit River, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 61.0806, -151.1598
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B
- Registration
- N4604Y
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Anchorage → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC94LA103
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS DURING HOVER.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT LANDED ON A GRAVEL BAR IN A RIVER WHICH HAD HIGH BANKS. THE WIND WAS VARIABLE DURING THE APPROACH AND LANDING. HE 'PICKED' THE HELICOPTER BACK UP TO A HOVER TO REPOSITION ON THE GRAVEL BAR AND THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO TURN TO THE RIGHT. HE APPLIED LEFT PEDAL, FELT A RESPONSE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE TURN. DURING THE TURN THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED AND STRUCK THE WATER. AFTER EVERYONE EXITED THE HELICOPTER, IT ROLLED OVER AND SANK IN THE RIVER. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER AND THE FAA, WHEN A HELICOPTER IS OPERATING AT OR NEAR ITS MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT, TAIL ROTOR CONTROL MAY BECOME MARGINAL DEPENDING ON WIND CONDITIONS. HOVERING WITH A TAILWIND MAY CAUSE TEMPORARY LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS AND ALLOW THE HELICOPTER TO ROTATE ABOUT ITS VERTICAL AXIS. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS FISH GUIDING.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Feb 1994 | Bell 206L-3 | Oro Grande, California, United States | California Highway Patrol | Unknown | - |
| 5 May 1994 | Bell 206B | Overton, Nevada, United States | US Army Corps of Engineers | Unknown | - |
| 26 Jun 1994 | Bell 206-B3 | Indian Springs, Nevada, United States | United States Air Force | Unknown | - |
| 1 Jul 1994 | Bell 206-B3 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | U.s. Forest Service | Unknown | - |
| 18 Aug 1994 | Bell 206B-III | Yreka, California, United States | US Forest Service | Unknown | - |
| 4 Jan 1994 | Bell 206B | Coolidge Dam, Arizona, United States | Southwest Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
All 1,732 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-18-150 | Gulkana, Alaska, United States | Maynard, Roger L. | No injuries | - |
| 8 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-12 | Nondalton, Alaska, United States | Alaska Safari, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 1994 | Cessna 140 | Willow, Alaska, United States | Moore, Charles D. | No injuries | - |
| 15 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-18-150 | Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States | 4W Air | No injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-18 | Kodiak, Alaska, United States | Hulbert, Ward A. | No injuries | - |
| 19 Aug 1994 | Cessna 182B | Ketchikan, Alaska, United States | Charlton, Albert J. | No injuries | - |