Bell 206B N49578
8 July 1996 · Salem, Ohio, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 8 July 1996 at about 15:00 local time, a Bell 206B registered N49578, operated by Mid-Ohio Aviation, Inc., was involved in an accident near Salem, Ohio, United States. 5 people were on board and 5 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Salem, Ohio, United States
- Coordinates
- 40.9003, -80.8491
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B
- Registration
- N49578
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Mid-Ohio Aviation, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- IAD96FA107
People
5 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's impairment of judgment and performance due to alcohol and the pilot's improper handling of the helicopter resulting in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. A related factor was the pilot's disregard for the aircraft's weight and balance while hovering out of ground effect.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Witnesses stated that they observed the helicopter hovering just above some 70 to 80 foot tall trees near the Little Beaver Creek. They said that the helicopter spun around slowly 3 to 4 times and that the main rotor was spinning slowly before it went behind the trees and crashed. The winds at the time were from 010 degrees at 6 knots. Examination of the wreckage found no evidence of pre-impact damage with the airframe, engine or flight controls, however the aircraft was over its gross weight limitations for hovering out of ground effect by 277.7 lbs. Examination of a Operations Safety Notice issued by Bell Helicopter on October 31, 1983, found that the pilot was operating in an environment conducive to loss of tail rotor effectiveness. The pilot's toxicological results were 194.000 mg/dl ethanol detected in blood and 274.000 mg/dl ethanol detected in urine.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Aug 1996 | Bell 206B | Glenns Ferry, Idaho, United States | Idaho Helicopters | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 1996 | Bell 206B | Greybull, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Feb 1996 | Bell 206B | Cushing, Oklahoma, United States | Corporate Helicopters, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Nov 1996 | Bell 206B | Supai, Arizona, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 1996 | Bell 206B | Juneau, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Apr 1996 | Bell 206B III | San Diego, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 1,732 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jul 1996 | Cessna 150 | Vincent, Ohio, United States | David & Susan Board | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 1996 | Boeing Stearman E75N1 | Goshen, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 1996 | Cessna 152 | Blue Ash, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 1996 | Cessna 172M | Tremont City, Ohio, United States | MAD River Airport, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 1996 | Corben Baby Ace C-1 | Portsmouth, Ohio, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Aug 1996 | Cessna 150 | Waverly, Ohio, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |