Bell 206L-1 N832AH

Summary

On 24 August 2002 at about 22:00 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N832AH, operated by Usfs, was involved in an accident near Wisdom, Montana, United States. One person was 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

24 August 2002 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wisdom, Montana, United States

Coordinates

45.6222, -113.5047

Aircraft

Bell 206L-1

Registration

N832AH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Usfs

Operating rule

Public Use

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wisdom → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA02TA164

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from an object while maneuvering. A tree(s) was a factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during a post-flight walk around, he noticed damage to the main rotor blades. One blade was punctured and both blades displayed tearing to the underside material of the blade. The pilot reported that several missions had been flown that day and he was unsure as to when the damage occurred. The pilot stated, that he believed that during one water drop with the 50-foot long line that held the water bucket, that the altitude was insufficient to avoid contact with an unseen tree top on the opposite side of the aircraft from the pilot station.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.