Bell 204B N911SW
27 May 1994 · Libby, Montana, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 27 May 1994 at about 19:00 local time, a Bell 204B registered N911SW was involved in an accident near Libby, Montana, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously 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
- Libby, Montana, United States
- Coordinates
- 48.3207, -115.3601
- Aircraft
- Bell 204B
- Registration
- N911SW
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA94LA128
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE 42 DEGREE GEAR BOX INPUT PINION. FACTORS INCLUDE UNSUITABLE, MOUNTAINOUS/HILLY TERRAIN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
JUST AFTER LIFTING A SINGLE-LOG EXTERNAL LOAD, THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE 42 DEGREE GEAR BOX INPUT PINION GEAR. THE PILOT RELEASED THE LOAD, AND BEGAN AN EMERGENCY DESCENT IN ORDER TO ATTEMPT A FORCED LANDING IN THE MOUNTAINOUS/HILLY TERRAIN. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO INITIATE THE LANDING FLARE, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 204 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jun 1994 | Bell 204B | Alamogordo, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Oct 1993 | Bell 204-B | Cedar Crest, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 May 1993 | Bell 204B | Copper Harbor, Alaska, United States | Chester C. Rasberry | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Aug 1992 | Bell 204B | Big Sur, California, United States | U.s. Forest Service | Unknown | - |
| 16 Apr 1997 | Bell 204-B | Calderwood, Tennessee, United States | U.s. Forest Svc./State of TN. | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jun 1997 | Bell 204-B | Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 May 1994 | Vickers SPITFIRE MARK XVIII | Great Falls, Montana, United States | Breit, Best, Richmand, Bosch, | Fatal | 1 |
| 27 May 1994 | Piper PA-12 | Nashua, Montana, United States | Nielson, Mark | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Jun 1994 | Piper PA-18 | Culbertson, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 1994 | Cessna 170A | Wolf Creek, Montana, United States | Schneider, Gregory M. | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jun 1994 | Cessna T188C | Angela, Montana, United States | Pluhar, Dennis A. | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jun 1994 | Cessna A188 | Cut Bank, Montana, United States | H&H Aircraft Leasing, Inc. | No injuries | - |