Bell 206BIII accident near Raton, NM
On June 27, 2002, a Bell 206BIII (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Raton, NM. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 27, 2002
- Place
- Raton, NM
- Aircraft
- Bell 206BIII · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.826°N, 104.908°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020708X01056
Official records · DEN02FA065
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 27, 2002, at 0758 mountain daylight time, a Bell 206BIII helicopter, N2779B, was destroyed following impact with transmission lines while maneuvering near Raton, New Mexico. The commercial pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. Aero West Helicopters, Albuquerque, New Mexico, was operating the helicopter under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that originated from Raton, New Mexico, approximately 45 minutes before the accident. A flight plan had not been filed. The pilot and his passenger, an employee of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, were flying a power line inspection patrol for possible maintenance needs. A refueler at Raton Municipal Airport said the helicopter was "topped off" with 61 gallons of Jet A fuel, and it departed at approximately 0715. A Tri-State Generation and Transmission employee said the Springer substation (located 17 nautical miles (nm) south of the Raton Municipal Airport) was the origin of the transmission wire going to the York Canyon Mine Complex of the Pittsburgh & Midway (P&M) Coal Mining Co. where the accident occurred. A witness, located approximately 3 nm south of the accident site, said he saw the helicopter flying northwest, level with the wires. Another witness observed the helicopter flying northbound. Moments later, it exploded "in a fireball." PERSONAL INFORMATION The pilot took his last second class FAA flight medical examination on February 27, 2002, and at that time he reported on his application that he had 4,500 hours of f
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance of the static wire. Factors were the static wire, and the glaring sunlight condition.
More accidents in NM
- Gates Learjet 25D, Sep 5, 1993
- Piper PA-32-300, Dec 26, 1982
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-30, Jun 25, 1992
- Cessna 421C, Feb 11, 1985
- Beech 58, Mar 26, 1982
Browse: New Mexico · 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.
