Bell 206 N326AC

Summary

On 16 April 2016 at about 17:05 local time, a Bell 206 registered N326AC, operated by Sky River Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Baltimore, Maryland, United States. 3 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.

Date

16 April 2016 at 17:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Baltimore Washington Internati (BWI)

Coordinates

39.1731, -76.6903

Aircraft

Bell 206

Registration

N326AC

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Sky River Helicopters

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Baltimore → Baltimore

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA16CA160

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind while hovering out of ground effect, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter began the power line aerial observation flight near its maximum gross weight. As the pilot maneuvered the helicopter into an out-of-ground-effect hover with a 12-knot left crosswind, a nose-right yaw ensued that could not be corrected with a full left pedal application. Despite other remedial actions taken by the pilot, the helicopter descended to ground contact where the occupants egressed, but the helicopter was later destroyed by post-crash fire. The pilot stated there were no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. He said, "It was an aerodynamic issue, not a mechanical issue." FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 90-95, Unanticipated Right Yaw in Helicopters stated, "Any maneuver which requires the pilot to operate in a high-power, low-airspeed environment with a left crosswind or tailwind creates an environment where unanticipated right yaw may occur."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.