Bell 206B3 accident near Inver Grove Hts, MN
On October 26, 1994, a Bell 206B3 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Inver Grove Hts, MN. 4 people were seriously injured. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- October 26, 1994
- Place
- Inver Grove Hts, MN
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B3 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 0 fatal, 4 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 44.821°N, 93.051°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X02418
NTSB summary
On October 26, 1994, about 1446 central daylight time, a Bell 206B3 helicopter, N505KS, operated by EAC helicopters, was destroyed by impact and postcrash fire following an in-flight collision with transmission wires near Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. The commercial pilot and three of the four passengers aboard received serious injuries; the remaining passenger received minor injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without flight plan. The purpose of the non-revenue flight was to give construction workers an aerial view of a highway project they had just completed on State Highway 55. The flight departed the South St. Paul Downtown Airport about 1420, and flew to a concrete mixing plant about 2 miles east-southeast of the accident site to pickup passengers for the flight. The flight then proceeded west along the nearby highway 55 at an altitude estimated by passengers as 75-100' agl. The return leg to the concrete plant was flown at a slightly higher altitude, 100-200' agl. A second group of passengers was loaded, and the flight flew west at a much lower altitude. Witnesses stated that the helicopter had to climb to cross the highway 103 bridge, and then descended again to fly along the highway. Witnesses reported the helicopter struck unmarked transmission wires situated perpendicular to the westerly flight path, and about 30' above ground level. The transmission wires were approximately 1,080 feet west of highway bridge 103. Highway 103 passes over the east/west highway 55 in a nearly perpendicular direction (north/south). The up
Probable cause
the pilot's improper altitude and inadequate visual lookout.
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Browse: Minnesota · 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.
