Bell 206 B-2 N968YC

Summary

On 4 December 2001 at about 00:00 local time, a Bell 206 B-2 registered N968YC was involved in an accident near Aieia, Hawaii, United States. 3 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

4 December 2001 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Aieia, Hawaii, United States

Coordinates

21.3804, -157.9195

Aircraft

Bell 206 B-2

Registration

N968YC

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Aieia → Aieia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX02LA039

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's loss of lateral control while in a hover that resulted in a rollover and collision with the ground. A factor was the unclear exit and boarding procedures provided to the work crew, who were non-aviators, during the preflight briefing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a hovering passenger pickup, the helicopter rolled over and collided with the ground. The purpose of the flight was to pickup a work crew and transfer them to another location. When the helicopter arrived at the pickup location, the pilot radioed the crew that he wanted them to board the helicopter from the left side. When the first man boarded the helicopter, it was from the right side, and he did not change his seat position to the opposite side. According to the pilot, as the second man was boarding, the helicopter began to "sway" back and forth. He released his grip on the helicopter, and was backing away from it when the helicopter impacted the ground on its right side. The work crews stated that the helicopter began "swaying" out of control before the second workman reached the helicopter to board. The work crews had been briefed earlier that day that if the pilot was unable to land due to terrain, the crew would have to exit and enter the helicopter while it was hovered. The seating arrangement was for the heavier people to sit in the back, with the lighter person seated in the front. One person was to board at a time, and then move to the opposite side of the helicopter before a second workman boarded. The last person to enter the helicopter would be the front seat passenger.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.