Bell 206L 3 N207DS

Summary

On 27 January 2014 at about 18:18 local time, a Bell 206L 3 registered N207DS, operated by Delta Bravo Sierra Inc, was involved in an accident near Silt, Colorado, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 January 2014 at 18:18

Classification

Accident

Location

Silt, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.5214, -107.6608

Aircraft

Bell 206L 3

Registration

N207DS

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1991

Engines

1

Operator

Delta Bravo Sierra Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rifle → Rifle

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14FA122

3 people died.

The pilot’s inadequate preflight planning for a low-level aerial surveillance flight of power transmission lines, which led to his being unaware of the crossing power line while flying toward the sun and his subsequent failure to maintain sufficient clearance from the wire.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of the flight was to perform low-level aerial surveillance of power transmission lines using an external gimbal-mounted infrared camera to detect problems with the patrolled power lines. While patrolling above a power line that passed through a valley, the helicopter struck another power line that crossed perpendicular to the helicopter's flightpath and was at a higher elevation than the patrolled power line and ran from poles mounted atop higher terrain. The struck power line was not marked with high-visibility balls nor was it required to be. The sun was directly in front of the helicopter and 30 degrees above the horizon at the time of the accident, which likely made it difficult for the pilot to see the crossing wire. Postaccident examination of the helicopter did not reveal any preimpact anomalies. Given that this was a low-level surveillance flight of power transmission lines, the pilot should have familiarized himself with the power lines he was going to patrol and any other wires or obstructions in the area before the flight. It is likely that he did not adequately plan for the flight and that, if he had, he might have been aware of the power line and been able to avoid it.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.