Bell 206B N67JJ

Summary

On 10 August 1999 at about 23:30 local time, a Bell 206B registered N67JJ, operated by Rapid Helicopters Incorporated, was involved in an accident near Custer, South Dakota, United States. 5 people were on board and 2 died, 2 were seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 August 1999 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Custer, South Dakota, United States

Coordinates

43.7603, -103.6009

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N67JJ

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Rapid Helicopters Incorporated

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI99FA285

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from the trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadvertent settling with power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter impacted trees and terrain while maneuvering during a sightseeing flight over a national park. The helicopter was in a descending left turn and a high angle of bank with decreasing main rotor rpm. A low rpm warning horn was heard several seconds prior to impact with the trees. An acoustical analysis of a video tape taken by a passenger shows a decrease in the engine gear box and planetary speeds along with a steady state engine speed several seconds prior to the end of the video tape. The end of the video tape recorded the initial impact with the trees. Examination of the engine and airframe revealed no anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.