Plane Crash List

Bell 206L-1 N17SP

22 September 1999 · Randolph, New York, United States · Serious injuries

Summary

On 22 September 1999 at about 18:50 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N17SP was involved in an accident near Randolph, New York, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously 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 18:50
Classification
Accident
Location
Randolph, New York, United States
Coordinates
42.1605, -78.9698
Aircraft
Bell 206L-1
Registration
N17SP
Category
Helicopter
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Public Use
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Jamestown → Batavia
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
NYC99GA234

People

2 people were seriously injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
2 0 2 0 0

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain visual separation from the wires. A factor was sunglare.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a drug eradication mission. He was flying in a valley, toward the sun, approximately 200 feet above ground level, when the helicopter struck utility wires. The towers, which supported the wires, were below the tree line. The wires were depicted on the current Detroit Sectional Aeronautical Chart.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Bell 206 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
10 Aug 1999 Bell 206L
N810F
Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States - No injuries -
13 Oct 1999 Bell 206L-1
TGAMA
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
no coordinates
- Fatal 2
7 Oct 1999 Bell 206B
N6624N
Apache Junction, Arizona, United States
no coordinates
Arizona Heliservices Inc. No injuries -
1 Nov 1999 Bell 206B
N565KS
Cottage Grove, Minnesota, United States - Fatal 2
23 Oct 1999 Bell 206-L4
N36R
Santa Clarita, California, United States
no coordinates
- No injuries -
9 Jun 1999 Bell 206B
N265AH
Juneau, Alaska, United States ERA Aviation, Inc. Minor injuries -

All 1,732 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
8 May 1999 Saab-Scania Ab (Saab) 340B
N232AE
Jamaica, New York, United States
no coordinates
American Eagle Airlines, Inc. Serious injuries -
16 Oct 1999 Cessna 182S
N783WW
Staatsburg, New York, United States - No injuries -
22 Mar 1999 Mooney M20C
N5878Q
Irving, New York, United States - Minor injuries -
2 May 1999 Stock S-1S
N29GS
Westtown, New York, United States - Fatal 1
8 May 1999 Cessna 172K
N7068G
Shirley, New York, United States - Fatal 1
27 Oct 1999 Eurocopter AS-350-BA
N350SL
Westbury, New York, United States - No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States