Summary
On December 01, 2007, a Bell 206-L4 (N95CH) was involved in an incident near Talladega, AL. All 4 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a wire.
On December 1, 2007, about 1310 central standard time, a Bell 206-L4 helicopter, N95CH, was substantially damaged when it struck a wire during takeoff from a field in Talladega, Alabama. The certificated commercial pilot, two crew members, and a passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the planned flight to a hospital in Ironton, Alabama. The air ambulance flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135.
According to the operator, the flight previously departed from Anniston, Alabama, and the pilot performed an off-airport landing to pick up a patient for transport to a nearby hospital.
This incident is documented in NTSB report NYC08LA050. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N95CH.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a wire.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
On December 1, 2007, about 1310 central standard time, a Bell 206-L4 helicopter, N95CH, was substantially damaged when it struck a wire during takeoff from a field in Talladega, Alabama. The certificated commercial pilot, two crew members, and a passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the planned flight to a hospital in Ironton, Alabama. The air ambulance flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135.
According to the operator, the flight previously departed from Anniston, Alabama, and the pilot performed an off-airport landing to pick up a patient for transport to a nearby hospital. During the subsequent takeoff, the helicopter's tail rotor struck a wire that was located about 30 feet above the ground, oriented perpendicular to its flight path. The pilot immediately landed without further incident. Neither the pilot, nor the crew were previously informed of the wire, which was not observed until just prior to contact.
The helicopter sustained damage to the tail rotor, vertical stabilizer, and left aft storage compartment door.
The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the helicopter. He reported 11,166 hours of total rotorcraft flight experience, which included 480 hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC08LA050