Bell 206B N16962

Summary

On 15 November 2002 at about 23:30 local time, a Bell 206B registered N16962, operated by John McCoy, was involved in an accident near Kingman, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 November 2002 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Kingman, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

35.1952, -114.0506

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N16962

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

John McCoy

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Saint George → Lake Havasu Cty

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC03LA015

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from obstacles during cruise flight, which resulted in the helicopter striking a transmission line, and subsequently the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was making a cross country flight in the helicopter in visual meteorological conditions. A sergeant for the sheriff's office said his office received a cellular telephone call from a motorist, advising of the helicopter accident. He said when he arrived at the accident site, he saw a debris field about 50 yards long perpendicular to a line of power poles. He said the poles were about 60 feet high, and two power lines were stretched between each pole, with the top line about 4 feet above the lower line. He said the site was in a fairly remote area of the desert, and that the power lines terminated at a ranch several miles from the accident site. He said the lower power line appeared to have been cut by the helicopter between two of the poles, and the top power line was intact. The sergeant said the owner of the ranch at the end of the power line reported a power failure about 1630. An FAA aviation safety inspector, who responded to the accident site, said the wreckage was scattered along a path about 50 yards long in the direction of the helicopter's destination. He said it appeared the helicopter, on a general heading of south, crossed perpendicular to a road and power lines, and impacted the ground about 50 yards south of the power lines. He said there was no large impact crater, and that all the major components of the helicopter were located at the accident site. He said the helicopter came to rest on its left side. The main rotor system was intact, and one main rotor blade had little or no damage. The second main rotor blade exhibited impact damage and striations starting about 4 feet from the hub on the leading edge, which he said were consistent with cutting the power line. The second blade also had span-wise flex folding along the trailing edge.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.