Bell 206B N1482W

Summary

On 31 May 1982 at about 21:30 local time, a Bell 206B registered N1482W, operated by Mary Tout, was involved in an accident near Fairfield, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

31 May 1982 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Fairfield, Texas, United States

Coordinates

31.7095, -96.1608

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N1482W

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Mary Tout

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Huntsville → Gainesville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW82FA204

2 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WITNESSES OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER FLYING NORTHBOUND WHILE TRAVELING PARALLEL AND JUST EAST OF A NORTH-SOUTH HIGHWAY. REPORTEDLY, IT ENTER AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING APPROACH, CROSSED OVER THE HIGHWAY AND IMPACTED IN AN OPEN FIELD ON A WESTERLY HEADING AFTER CLEARING POWER LINES, THEN BURNED. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS DESCENDING IN ABOUT A 45 DEG WHEN IT WENT OUT OF SIGHT BEHIND TREES. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT IT IMPACTED IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE WHILE MOVING TO THE LEFT. THE WIND WAS FROM 340 DEG AT 16 KTS. AFTER IMPACT THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO DISINTEGRATE. WRECKAGE WAS FOUND OVER A DISTANCE OF 108 FT. DURING AN ENGINE TEARDOWN, DAMAGE WAS NOTED THAT WAS CONSISTENT WITH A LACK OF POWER AND LOW RPM. NO OTHER EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE WAS FOUND DURING THE TEARDOWN. REPORTEDLY, THE PILOT HAD NOTED VIBRATIONS ON THE PREVIOUS FLIGHT DURING LEFT TURNS AND HAD TO "BEEP UP" THE ENGINE AFTER LIFTING OFF TO A HOVER, THEN HAD TO "BEEP DOWN" AFTER LANDING TO KEEP FROM OVERSPEEDING.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.