Bell 206L N16736
14 October 1987 · Trenton, New Jersey, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 14 October 1987 at about 19:45 local time, a Bell 206L registered N16736, operated by Allison GAS Turbine Division, was involved in an accident near Trenton, New Jersey, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Trenton, New Jersey, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L
- Registration
- N16736
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Allison GAS Turbine Division
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC88DHD01
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION, AND THE PILOT'S POOR AIRCRAFT HANDLING DURING THE AUTOROTATION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT AND TWO MECHANICS WERE ON A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT, OPERATING AT ABOUT 300 TO 400 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THEY HAD STARTED TO TRACK THE ROTOR BLADES AT 130 TO 140 MPH WHEN THEY FELT A SUDDEN LEFT YAW, AND THE 'ENGINE OUT' LIGHT AND AUDIO CAME ON. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION INTO AN OPEN FIELD. WHEN THE TAILSKIDS TOUCHED DOWN, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED AND SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM. THE ENGINE WAS RUN-UP SATISFACTORILY. THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS DISASSEMBLED AND INSPECTED; THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF CONTAMINATION OR OBSTRUCTION/BLOCKAGE. INVESTIGATORS DRAINED 10 GALLONS OF FUEL FROM THE HELICOPTER'S FUEL TANKS, INCLUDING ONE GALLON OF 'UNUSEABLE' FUEL. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, THIS IS CONSIDERED A LOW LEVEL OF FUEL AND THE PILOT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLANNING TO LAND AS SOON AS PRACTICAL.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Mar 1987 | Bell 206B | Austin, Texas, United States | Omni Flight, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jun 1987 | Bell 206L-1 | Winter Haven, Florida, United States | All American Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 19 Nov 1987 | Bell 206B III | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Aero West Management Services | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Jan 1987 | Bell 206L-1 | Pollockville, North Carolina, United States | Omniflight Airways, Inc. | Fatal | 4 |
| 10 Dec 1987 | Bell 206L-3 | Little Rock, Arkansas, United States | Central Flying Service | Unknown | - |
| 19 Nov 1987 | Bell 206L-3 | Rialto, California, United States | William Lyon Company | Serious injuries | - |
All 1,732 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jan 1987 | Marrone VM-1 | Jobstown, New Jersey, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 May 1987 | Piper PA-36-400 | Mullica Hill, New Jersey, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 1987 | Piper PA-28-161 | Bridgeton, New Jersey, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 1987 | Piper PA-28-151 | Lakewood, New Jersey, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 1987 | Mooney M20B | Marlboro, New Jersey, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Nov 1987 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | Continental Airlines | No injuries | - |