Bell 412 N82628

Summary

On 12 March 1998 at about 22:30 local time, a Bell 412 registered N82628, operated by Federal Bureau Investigation, was involved in an accident near Quantico, Virginia, United States. 3 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.

Date

12 March 1998 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Quantico, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 412

Registration

N82628

Category

Helicopter

Engines

2

Operator

Federal Bureau Investigation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Manassas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD98GA039

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance above the terrain and the lack of management oversight of aircrews and equipment.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The FBI helicopter completed two circuits around a training road course at low altitude in pursuit of an automobile. The supervisor of the road course arranged the scenario with the pilot, and an instructor drove the automobile. A second vehicle that followed the pursuit filmed the flight. During the second lap, the vehicle reversed direction as it performed a sudden stop. The helicopter performed a deceleration and the tail skid, tailrotor, and tailboom struck the ground. A request for copies of procedural, operational, maintenance, and safety related programs and documents revealed that they either did not exist, or they were in draft form and unapproved for use. The flight was neither trained for, nor was it briefed. The pilots received training from the helicopter manufacturer, but no agency mission training or evaluations were noted in the accident helicopter. The FBI convened an Aviation Accident Review Board (AARB). According to the Board, '... [Unit] pilots worked under the 'fly one helicopter, fly all helicopter' assumption. AARB members unanimously agreed that no management oversight of [unit] operations currently exists.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.