Bell 206L-1 N601GM

Summary

On 12 August 2006 at about 23:30 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N601GM, operated by Silver State Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Ozona, Texas, 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

12 August 2006 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Ozona, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.7353, -101.2028

Aircraft

Bell 206L-1

Registration

N601GM

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Silver State Helicopters

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

External Load

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ozona → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW06LA197

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's selection of an unsuitable terrain for landing. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The operator reported that the helicopter was in the area performing long-line external load operations in support of seismic activities. After landing on a uphill rocky slope the pilot rolled the throttle to idle and checked the control for stability of the landing surface. The 1,263-hour commercial pilot, who reported having accumulated a total of 48 hours in the same make and model, then exited the helicopter in an attempt to re-hook another external load bag. While the pilot was outside the helicopter, the aircraft began to slide backwards and the pilot attempted to compensate by pushing down on the toe of the landing gear skid to stop the slide. The helicopter continued to slide until the tail rotor blades made contact with a large rock outcrop. The pilot subsequently entered the helicopter and retarded the engine. The tail rotor gear box and the aft portion of the tailboom separated from the tailboom. Both tail rotor blades sustained structural damage; however, they remained attached to the tail rotor gear box. The helicopter remained in the upright position and there was no fire. The pilot reported that at the time of the mishap, the weather was clear, with winds from the southeast at 10 to 15 knots, and a temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.