Bell 206-L4 N482TJ

Summary

On 23 July 2023 at about 18:20 local time, a Bell 206-L4 registered N482TJ, operated by Sky Aviation Corp, was involved in an accident near Caldwell, Ohio, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 July 2023 at 18:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Caldwell, Ohio, United States

Coordinates

39.7139, -81.5606

Aircraft

Bell 206-L4

Registration

N482TJ

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1996

Engines

1

Operator

Sky Aviation Corp

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

External Load

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Caldwell → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA309

1 person was seriously injured.

The helicopter’s uncontrolled vertical descent and impact with terrain for reasons that could not be determined.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had successfully completed several external load drop operations on the morning of the accident. Afterward, the pilot returned to the off-airport landing zone where a trailer with a ground crew supporting the mission had been positioned. The helicopter was refueled and the pilot checked fluid levels, with no anomalies noted. The helicopter subsequently departed so that the pilot could conduct additional external drop operations during the afternoon. The first cargo drop of the afternoon was completed successfully. While over the second drop zone, the helicopter descended into and impacted an area of wooded terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the helicopter. During the morning operations, the pilot had no issues maneuvering the helicopter with a load configuration similar to that of accident flight and completing multiple cargo load drops. The ground crew observed nothing unusual during those flights. The ground crew did not witness the events leading up to the helicopter’s descent into forested terrain, and the pilot could not recall those details. Postaccident examination of the helicopter found no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Additionally, the long line used for the external load operation was found partially wrapped around the main rotor mast and tangled in trees surrounding the wreckage. The cargo and emergency release hooks remained attached to the helicopter and the load, and the load was found near the wreckage. It could not be determined at what point during the accident sequence the long line became wrapped around the main rotor mast. Postaccident performance calculations indicated that the accident helicopter would have had sufficient capability to perform an out-of-ground-effect hover. Thus, the reason for the helicopter’s uncontrolled vertical descent and impact with terrain could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.