Bell 206L-1 N785SR
24 February 1999 · Barrow, Alaska, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 24 February 1999 at about 21:30 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N785SR was involved in an accident near Barrow, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. 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 21:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Barrow, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 71.2793, -156.7800
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1
- Registration
- N785SR
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC99TA029
People
3 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's misjudged flare while landing. Factors associated with the accident were whiteout conditions, and the snow-covered terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that the public use helicopter was being utilized to search for a missing person. He said that shortly after initiating the search, he was able to locate the missing person on a frozen lake. He indicated that as he approached the lake for landing, he became disoriented due to whiteout conditions. The helicopter struck the frozen lake, and rolled onto its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and drive train components. The closest official weather observation station is Barrow, located about 4 nautical miles north of the accident site. On February 24, at 1753, an Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) was reporting in part: wind, 070 degrees at 13 knots; visibility, 3 miles with light snow; clouds, 2,400 feet scattered, 3,800 feet broken, 10,000 feet overcast; temperature, minus 7 degrees F; dew point, minus 13 degrees F; altimeter, 29.81 inHg. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the helicopter.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Aug 1999 | Bell 206L | Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Oct 1999 | Bell 206L-1 | Quetzaltenango, Guatemala | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 7 Oct 1999 | Bell 206B | Apache Junction, Arizona, United States | Arizona Heliservices Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 1 Nov 1999 | Bell 206B | Cottage Grove, Minnesota, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 23 Oct 1999 | Bell 206-L4 | Santa Clarita, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Jun 1999 | Bell 206B | Juneau, Alaska, United States | ERA Aviation, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
All 1,732 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 May 1999 | Piper PA-24-260 | Juneau, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 24 May 1999 | Stinson 108 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | Glenn A. Ferris | Fatal | 1 |
| 29 May 1999 | De Havilland DHC 2 MK III | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | William A. Sego | No injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 1999 | Cessna 170B | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 1999 | Piper PA-18 | Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States | James T. Ables | No injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 1999 | Cessna 180G | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |