Bell 206L-1 N519EH

Summary

On 17 November 1999 at about 20:50 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N519EH was involved in an accident near Neihart, Montana, United States. 4 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.

Date

17 November 1999 at 20:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Neihart, Montana, United States

Coordinates

46.8903, -110.7208

Aircraft

Bell 206L-1

Registration

N519EH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Great Falls

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA00LA020

Nobody was injured.

Clearance from an object was not maintained. Gusting wind conditions was a factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, due to trees directly in front of him for the departure from a remote site located near ski lift towers, he elected to turn the nose of the helicopter 45 to 50 degrees to the left, hover over to an open area, and depart downslope building airspeed and altitude. After the helicopter moved to the left about 20 to 30 feet, the pilot felt the tail of the helicopter rotate abruptly to the left. The pilot applied left pedal which slowed, but did not stop the rotation. The pilot applied cyclic control to return to the landing zone. During the maneuver, the helicopter drifted over to one of the ski lift towers, striking the tail rotor on the tower. The rotation increased, and the pilot closed the throttle and utilized collective to cushion the landing which was hard. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter at the time of the accident. Shortly after the accident, as the pilot was waiting for company personnel to arrive, he noted that at 10 to 15 minute intervals, the wind gusts would become stronger for a short period of time, then die down. The pilot reported that the wind was from 180 degrees at five knots, gusting to 15 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.