Bell UH 1N N12328
10 May 2020 · Baghdad, Iraq · Minor injuries
Summary
On 10 May 2020 at about 20:02 local time, a Bell UH 1N registered N12328, operated by US Department Of State, was involved in an accident near Baghdad, Iraq. 4 people were on board and 4 had minor injuries. 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 20:02
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Baghdad, Iraq
- Nearest airport
- US Embassy Heliport (OREZ)
- Coordinates
- 33.2964, 44.9222
- Aircraft
- Bell UH 1N
- Registration
- N12328
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1971
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- US Department Of State
- Operating rule
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Baghdad → Baghdad
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night
- NTSB number
- ERA20CA191
People
4 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Probable cause
The flight crew's inadequate situational awareness and failure to maintain adequate clearance from a security barrier during a night takeoff.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to operator, the pilots of the helicopter were departing from the heliport for a routine passenger flight in night visual meteorological conditions. The copilot brought the helicopter to a 4 ft hover, transitioned to the left and had commenced forward flight when the main rotor blades struck a security barrier. The helicopter then impacted the ground and the main rotor blades struck the tailboom. Both pilots reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell UH-1N accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 May 2008 | Bell UH-1N | Panama City, Panama | Servicio Aereo Nacional | Fatal | 11 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Feb 2011 | Beechcraft HAWKER | Sulaimanyia, Iraq | Sky Lounge Services S.A.L | Fatal | 7 |
| 17 Jul 2009 | MD Helicopters 530 (369FF) | Camp Butler, Iraq | Presidential Airways | Fatal | 3 |
| 16 Feb 2006 | Cessna 501 | Sulaimaniya, Iraq | Hasit Trockenmoertel GmbH | Fatal | 6 |