Bell 206B N74PR

Summary

On 13 January 1983 at about 18:05 local time, a Bell 206B registered N74PR, operated by Petie Cook Chisum, was involved in an accident near Cordova, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

13 January 1983 at 18:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Cordova, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

60.7894, -145.6098

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N74PR

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Petie Cook Chisum

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cordova → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC83FA032

1 person 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

THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A RESCUE/RECOVERY FLT FOR THE ALASKA STATE TROOPERS WITH THE PLT & A STATE TROOPER ON BOARD. THEY DEPARTED IN VARIABLE WX CONDITIONS TO RESCUE THE PLT OF ANOTHER ACFT. REPORTEDLY, SNOW WAS FALLING IN THE SEARCH AREA & THE WINDS WERE GUSTING BETWEEN 70 & 90 MPH. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THE ENG FLAMED OUT DURING A TURN AT APRX 1000 FT AGL. HE BEGAN AN AUTOROTATION & TRANSMITTED A DISTRESS CALL. DURING AN APCH TO A FROZEN RIVER, HE ENCOUNTERED A TOTAL WHITEOUT CONDITION IN FOG & BLOWING SNOW AT APRX 75 TO 100 FT AGL. HE GUESSED AT THE ALT TO APPLY COLLECTIVE PITCH TO STOP THE DESCENT & SAID THAT HE EXPERIENCED VERTIGO DURING THE LAST PART OF THE DESCENT. THE ACFT IMPACTED IN A LEFT, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE & ROLLED OVER. THE OCCUPANTS WERE UNABLE TO REACH THEIR SURVIVAL GEAR IN THE WRECKAGE. WX DELAY THEIR RESCUE & THE PASSENGER DIED FROM HYPOTHERMIA. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH PARTICLE SEPARATORS, BUT NO SNOW DEFLECTORS WERE INSTALLED. NO MECHANICAL ENG FAILURE WAS FOUND, BUT A COATING OF ICE WAS FOUND IN THE ENG INLET.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.