Bell 412/SP accident near Bluefield, VA
On April 22, 1994, a Bell 412/SP (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Bluefield, VA. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 22, 1994
- Place
- Bluefield, VA
- Aircraft
- Bell 412/SP · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.229°N, 81.260°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X01039
Official records · BFO94FA071
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- ATC 3 - Factual Report of Group Chairman: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Transcript of Radio Communications between N70AM and Baptist Hospital Com Center: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 22, 1994, at 1445 eastern daylight time, a Bell 412 helicopter, N70AM, owned and operated by Air Methods Corporation of Denver, Colorado, collided with mountainous terrain during an instrument approach to Mercer County/Bluefield Airport Bluefield, West Virginia. All four occupants aboard the aircraft, the pilot, the co-pilot, and two flight nurses, received fatal injuries. The helicopter was destroyed. The flight originated in Winston Salem, North Carolina, at 1347 hours and was arriving at its destination to pick up a patient. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight plan was filed. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot, co-pilot, and two flight nurses departed North Carolina Baptist Hospital to pick up a patient at the airport in Bluefield, West Virginia. The pilot received air traffic control services from a radar controller at the Indianapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), and he requested vectors to ILS runway 23. The last transmission between the pilot and the controller was for the flight to maintain seven thousand feet until established on approach, and to fly heading two four zero. The flight was also cleared for the instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 23 at Mercer County, an uncontrolled airport. The pilot was instructed to contact the specialist at the Bluefield Flight Service Station (FSS) and reportedly made "normal" transmissions, with no indication of a problem. The helicopter impacted a mountain located 7 1/2 miles from the departure end of runway 23 at the
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE, AND HIS IMPROPER EXECUTION OF THE INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE FAILURE OF THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER TO ADEQUATELY VECTOR THE FLIGHTCREW TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE AT THE APPROACH GATE, AS SPECIFIED IN THE ATC HANDBOOK.
More accidents in VA
- Boeing 757-200, Sep 11, 2001
- Beech B99, Sep 23, 1985
- Beech 65, Sep 10, 1995
- Beech 200, Oct 24, 2004
- Piper PA-31-310, Nov 14, 1982
Browse: Virginia · Bell aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
