Bell 206B N118TV

Summary

On 23 July 2011 at about 16:45 local time, a Bell 206B registered N118TV, operated by Interstate Helicopter Inc, was involved in an accident near Temple, Oklahoma, 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

23 July 2011 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Temple, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

34.2019, -98.4169

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N118TV

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Interstate Helicopter Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Oklahoma City → Temple

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN11CA509

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from static power lines.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that he positioned the helicopter behind a moving truck as it was traveling down the highway to film the contents in the truck's bed. Unaware that terrain was rising, he observed a static power line across the helicopter's path at the last second. He attempted to avoid the power line by flying underneath it; however, the main rotor mast impacted a wire. He performed a successful autorotation to the ground. The helicopter's tail boom, tail rotor, vertical stabilizer, and main rotor control linkages sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.