Bell 206L-1 N3898U

Summary

On 3 December 1986 at about 09:52 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N3898U, operated by Customaire, Inc., was involved in an accident near Jamestown, Tennessee, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

3 December 1986 at 09:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Jamestown, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Jamestown Muni (2A1)

Coordinates

36.4307, -84.9293

Aircraft

Bell 206L-1

Registration

N3898U

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Customaire, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jamestown → Nashville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ATL87MA035

4 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

THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING USED IN AN EMERG MED SVC/MED-EVAC (EMS) OPN. AT 0230, THE PLT OBTAINED A PARTIAL WX BRIEFING. HE WAS ADVISED OF FLT PRCTNS FOR IFR WX THRU-OUT THE AREA WITH LOW CEILINGS, FOG, PRECIP & MTNS OBSCD. THE FLT DEPARTED NASHVILLE AT 0245 & LNDD AT JAMESTOWN AT 0333. ABOUT 17 MIN LATER, IT TOOK OFF ON THE RETURN FLT TO NASHVILLE WITH 2 MEDPSNL & A PATIENT ABOARD. ABOUT 3.2 MI FM THE DEPARTURE POINT, THE ACFT HIT TREES MOMENTS AFTER CROSSING HI TERRAIN ALONGTHE RIM OF A VALLEY. THE IMPACT AREA WAS VOID OF LGTS. A WX STUDY INDCD CLD BASES AT ABOUT 800' AGL, VIS LESS THAN 3 MI IN DRIZZLE & FOG. PSNL IN THE AREA ESTD 200' TO 300' OVERCAST, VIS 1/2 TO 3/4 MI. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FND. THE EMS OPN WAS CERTIFIED UNDER 14 CFR 135 (NO SPECIFIC REG FOR EMS OPNS). THE COMPANY OPNS MANUAL LACKED GUID-ANCE CONCERNING EMS OPNS. THE OPERATOR DID NOT HAVE AN FAA APPROVED TRAINING MANUAL. NO FAA RECORD WAS FND SHOWING A BASE INSPECTION BY EITHER OPNS OR MAINT INSPECTORS BTN 1/11/85 & THE DATE OF THE ACDNT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.