Bell 206B N301MH
1 May 2000 · Homer, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 1 May 2000 at about 20:30 local time, a Bell 206B registered N301MH was involved in an accident near Homer, Alaska, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 20:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Homer, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 59.3991, -151.3199
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B
- Registration
- N301MH
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Homer → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC00LA053
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The pilot's misjudging the landing flare in whiteout/flat light conditions. Factors associated with the accident are the whiteout and flat lighting conditions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During an on-demand passenger flight, the airline transport certificated pilot was landing a helicopter at a lake gauging station. The gauging station was surrounded by snow-covered terrain. His two passengers were conducting snow pack studies around the lake. Flat light conditions existed at the lake, and light drizzle was falling. The pilot was utilizing the gauging station as his landing reference point, but during the landing approach, he flew past the station and had no other visual references. The skids of the helicopter contacted the snow, and the pilot applied upward collective pitch. He attempted to stabilize the helicopter in a hover, but began drifting forward and to the left. The left landing gear skid contacted the snow, and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. A passenger described the weather conditions at the landing site as the 'inside of a ping pong ball.' The pilot recommended additional white-out training as a way to prevent the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May 2000 | Bell 206B | Cocodrie, Louisiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 30 Oct 2000 | Bell 206L-1 | Mesa Verde, Colorado, United States | U.s. Bureau of Reclamation | No injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 2000 | Bell 206B | North Arlington, New Jersey, United States | Raco Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 24 Aug 2000 | Bell 206BII | Newhalem, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Mar 2000 | Bell 206B | Manokotak, Alaska, United States | U.s. Coast Guard | No injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 2000 | Bell 206-L4 | Atlanta, Idaho, United States | US Forest Service | No injuries | - |
All 1,732 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jun 2000 | Piper PA-18-160 | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 2000 | Cessna 170B | Wasilla, Alaska, United States | Marnie L. Starck | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 2000 | Cessna 207 | Kotlik, Alaska, United States | Larry's Flying Service, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 8 Sep 2000 | Cessna 180 | Sterling, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jul 2000 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Big Lake, Alaska, United States | Ketchum Air Service, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 18 Apr 2000 | Piper PA-18-150 | Big Lake, Alaska, United States | Trent R. Davey | No injuries | - |