Bell 206B N2877F

Summary

On 30 June 2006 at about 17:51 local time, a Bell 206B registered N2877F was involved in an accident near Walford, Iowa, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 June 2006 at 17:51

Classification

Accident

Location

Walford, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

41.8756, -91.8522

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N2877F

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Walford → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI06FA173

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from powerlines. The powerlines were a factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter was destroyed when it impacted power lines and the ground while filming for a motion picture. The pilot and one passenger received serious injuries. One passenger was fatally injured. The motion picture camera's film was developed and a dubbed version was examined by the National Transportation Safety Board's Vehicle Recorder Division. The video contained several recorded scenes of a car travelling on a highway. During the final portion of the last recorded scene, the helicopter's speed and altitude were estimated to be 50 to 60 miles per hour and 30 and 50 feet above the ground as it travelled parallel to the highway. The recording did not contain evidence of any avoidance or maneuver prior to the end of the recording. Local authorities confirmed that power lines that ran perpendicular to the road that the helicopter paralled were severed when they arrived at the accident scene. The height of the wires was estimated to be about 50 feet. No aircraft, control or engine anomalies were found that could be determined to have existed prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.