Bell 206B III N5011N

Summary

On 18 October 1983 at about 13:44 local time, a Bell 206B III registered N5011N, operated by E.w. Wiggins Airways, Inc., was involved in an accident near Hudson, New Hampshire, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

18 October 1983 at 13:44

Classification

Accident

Location

Hudson, New Hampshire, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 206B III

Registration

N5011N

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

E.w. Wiggins Airways, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Norwood → Manchester

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC84FA009

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 PLT WAS ON A FLT TO PICK UP FILM FOR A TV STATION. WHILE EN ROUTE, HE MADE A MAYDAY CALL TO THE MANCHESTER CONTROL TOWER. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE ACFT WAS PROCEEDING IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION AT ABOUT 700 TO 1000 FT AGL WHEN THEY HEARD A 'MUFFLED POP.' THE HELICOPTER THEN ENTERED A DESCENT & BANKED LEFT TOWARD AN OPEN AREA ADJACENT TO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX. SEVERAL WITNESSES STATED THEY OBSERVED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES SLOWING DOWN DURING THE DESCENT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASH LANDED IN A CONFINED AREA, CAME TO REST APRX 120 FT FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT & BURNED. NONE OF THE WITNESSES SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE HELICOPTER BEFORE IT CRASHED. DISASSEMBLY TO THE ENG REVEALED THAT A 3RD STAGE TURBINE WHEEL BLADE HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.