Bell 206B N3902W
22 June 2004 · Graysville, Alabama, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 22 June 2004 at about 15:00 local time, a Bell 206B registered N3902W was involved in an accident near Graysville, Alabama, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Graysville, Alabama, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.6209, -86.9608
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B
- Registration
- N3902W
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Bessemer → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL04TA137
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for a tailwind and his failure to maintain directional control resulting in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. A factor was the pilot's improper in-flight decision to hover with a tailwind.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated he was maneuvering the helicopter in a right turn at 200 feet AGL between 20 to 25 knots with a tail wind. The helicopter started an uncommanded turn to the right. The pilot immediately applied left anti-torque pedal and increased power. The un-commanded turn rate increased. The pilot decreased power, lowered the nose, and applied right cyclic. The turn rate increased. The helicopter descended, collided with trees, and a road while turning to the right collapsing the right skid, and rolled over on its left side. When the pilot was asked if he experienced any mechanical problems with the helicopter before the accident, the pilot stated no. When the pilot was asked what happened, the pilot stated "he encountered a loss of tail rotor effectiveness". When the pilot was asked if he had any training in regards to loss of tail rotor effectiveness, he stated, "only open discussion."
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jun 2004 | Bell 206B | Cushing, Oklahoma, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 24 Jun 2004 | Bell 206-L1 | Vermillion Bay, Louisiana, United States | American Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 3 |
| 16 Aug 2004 | Bell 206B | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Jan 2004 | Bell 206B | Turner, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 May 2004 | Bell 206L-3 | Palmdale, California, United States | Orbic Helicopters | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 2004 | Bell 206-L4 | Patterson, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 1,732 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jan 2004 | Current KITFOX 313 | Selma, Alabama, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Mar 2004 | Aircraft Mfg & Development ALARUS CH2T | Bay Minette, Alabama, United States | Phil's Flying Enterprises, Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Jun 2004 | Piper PA-25-235 | Gulf Shores, Alabama, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 2004 | Mooney M20F | Brewton, Alabama, United States | Stephen Spencer Wooten | No injuries | - |
| 21 Oct 2004 | Piper PA-32RT-300T | Guntersville, Alabama, United States | Robert Thomas Webb | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Dec 2004 | Bell UH-1H | Rockford, Alabama, United States | AGRotors Inc. | No injuries | - |