Summary
On June 10, 2000, a Sikorsky HH-3F (N500XL) was involved in an accident near Wellington, NV. The accident resulted in 2 serious injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's encounter with a wind shear while maneuvering at low altitude in mountainous terrain, which resulted in a high descent rate and inadvertent entry into a power settling condition.
On June 10, 2000, about 1230 Pacific daylight time, a Sikorsky HH-3F, N500XL, collided with trees during a forced landing into a creek bed near Wellington, Nevada. Cinema Aircraft Restorations, LLC, was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot and one pilot rated passenger sustained serious injuries; the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed Minden, Nevada, about 1200, en route to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The operator submitted a Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2). About 30 minutes into the flight, the pilot noticed a rapid airspeed fluctuation from 80 knots to 20 knots.
This accident is documented in NTSB report LAX00LA220. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N500XL.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot's encounter with a wind shear while maneuvering at low altitude in mountainous terrain, which resulted in a high descent rate and inadvertent entry into a power settling condition.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On June 10, 2000, about 1230 Pacific daylight time, a Sikorsky HH-3F, N500XL, collided with trees during a forced landing into a creek bed near Wellington, Nevada. Cinema Aircraft Restorations, LLC, was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot and one pilot rated passenger sustained serious injuries; the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed Minden, Nevada, about 1200, en route to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The operator submitted a Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2). About 30 minutes into the flight, the pilot noticed a rapid airspeed fluctuation from 80 knots to 20 knots. He completed a systems check and saw the airspeed go to zero. The helicopter rapidly settled. The pilot lowered the collective, but the rpm began to seriously decay. He tried to regain rpm, but was unsuccessful. The helicopter continued to settle downhill into a canyon. The helicopter collided with trees at zero airspeed and 800-feet-per-minute rate of descent in the bottom of the canyon.
Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined the wreckage on scene and interviewed the pilot and passenger. Their investigation disclosed that the helicopter was low and climbing over a ridge in mountainous terrain when it encountered wind shear and could not sustain flight. The helicopter collided with trees when it made the forced landing under power.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX00LA220