Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm BO-105CBS-5 N911VH

Summary

On 14 November 2000 at about 04:48 local time, a Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm BO-105CBS-5 registered N911VH was involved in an accident near Parumph, Nevada, 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

14 November 2000 at 04:48

Classification

Accident

Location

Parumph, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm BO-105CBS-5

Registration

N911VH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pahrump → Las Vegas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX01LA039

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to verify the presence of wires near the remote landing site during the high reconnaissance, and his misjudgement of the clearance from the ground during the attempted hovering turn to avoid the wire obstacle. Factors were the dark night and the incorrect information provided by the ground crew.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During an aborted landing, the helicopter maneuvered to avoid power lines and collided with flat terrain. The helicopter landed hard on the right front skid and rolled onto its right side. The medical evacuation flight was en route to pickup a patient at a remote location at night. The landing zone area was 100 feet in length and approximately 32 feet in width, with another 100 feet in length as a buffer area. The pilot conducted a high and low reconnaissance of the area. On final approach, a vehicle turned onto the road where the landing zone had been established. The pilot initiated an aborted landing. He maneuvered to avoid power lines by making a climbing right turn. Due to the helicopter's altitude at the time of the aborted landing, the pilot did not believe he would be able to climb over the power lines and maneuvered the helicopter under the wires. The right front side tube contacted the ground and the helicopter came to rest on its side. The pilot was briefed by the ground emergency medical technicians while en route to the site and was told there were no wires present.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.