Bell 206B-III N2157J

Summary

On 10 February 1996 at about 18:15 local time, a Bell 206B-III registered N2157J was involved in an accident near Pellston, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 February 1996 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Pellston, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

45.3604, -84.9505

Aircraft

Bell 206B-III

Registration

N2157J

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Harbor Springs → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI96FA088

1 person died.

flight into known adverse weather conditions (fog) at too low an altitude by the pilot. Factors associated with this accident were inadequate preflight planning and an improper inflight decision by the pilot when he chose to continue flight into the fog conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter was declared missing on the day it had departed from its home airport. Three days later, it was found on top of a heavily wooded, snow covered, hill. According to the local coroner, the pilot had survived the accident but not the cold weather. There was no cold weather survival gear found at the accident scene. The helicopter was not equipped with an ELT. On the day it was declared missing, the helicopter was observed at an airport about 10 miles south-southwest of the accident site. The witness said it took off departing north at an altitude between 300 and 400 feet above ground level. The same witness said the visibility was 1 to 2 miles. Witnesses about 1 mile west of the accident site heard a metallic crashing sound. They said the tree tops east of them were obscured. An airport, about 1 miles east of the accident site, reported 3 miles visibility with fog about the time the witnesses reported hearing the collision sounds. The airframe, control system, and power plant examination revealed no anomalies that would have prevented flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.