Bell 206B N911RH
12 October 1997 · Sago, West Virginia, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 12 October 1997 at about 15:13 local time, a Bell 206B registered N911RH was involved in an accident near Sago, West Virginia, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 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 15:13
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Sago, West Virginia, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.9807, -80.2208
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B
- Registration
- N911RH
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Spruce Fork → Sawmill Run
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- IAD98FA005
People
4 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The improper overhaul of the turbine governor by the manufacturer, which resulted in the loss of power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A helicopter was transporting passengers to a remote site when it dropped in a flat attitude and impacted into trees. A witness said he watched as the helicopter approached and circled the local area. As the helicopter flew overhead for the second time, he waved his arms to attract the pilot's attention. As the helicopter continued past him again, he thought that they were taking aerial photographs of the site. He said that the helicopter appeared to be lower and slower on its second pass overhead. Examination of the engine revealed uncommanded engine shut downs. During bench testing, the power turbine governor failed to limit fuel flow, and during disassembly it was revealed that a machine self locking hex nut had backed off the muscles valve stem. Examination of the muscles valve components revealed that the threaded valve stem was below the minimum requirements for a UNJ thread, and the flank angle was too large. The turbine governor, with zero Time Since Overhaul, was installed on the engine in January 1997. The governor was last overhauled at the manufacturer's facility during May-June 1996.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Oct 1997 | Bell 206-B2 | Sutton, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jul 1997 | Bell 206B | New Iberia, Louisiana, United States | American Aviation, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 May 1997 | Bell 206L-1 | Orlando, Florida, United States | Air Orlando Helicopter, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Jul 1997 | Bell 206L-1 | Amelia, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Nov 1997 | Bell 206B | Forest Grove, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jun 1997 | Bell 206B | Intracoastl Cty, Louisiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
All 1,732 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 1997 | Taylorcraft DCO-65 | Charleston, West Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1997 | Cessna 172M | Milton, West Virginia, United States | Wade Hester | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jan 1997 | De Havilland DHC-8-102 | Charleston, West Virginia, United States | Mesaba Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 10 May 1997 | American AA-1 | Lewisburg, West Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Oct 1997 | Cessna 182P | Morgantown, West Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 Sep 1997 | Reynolds MARSKE-MONARCH 1997 | Sutton, West Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |