Bell 206L-1 accident near Doland, SD
On September 10, 2002, a Bell 206L-1 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Doland, SD. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 10, 2002
- Place
- Doland, SD
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 44.854°N, 98.040°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020927X05236
Official records · CHI02FA288
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 9, 2002, at 2152 central daylight time (cdt), a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, N400SL, piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed during a collision with terrain about 3.6 nautical miles (nm) southeast of Doland, South Dakota. Night marginal visual meteorological conditions (MVFR) prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 while on a company flight plan. The pilot, flight nurse, flight paramedic, and patient were fatally injured. The flight departed from Avera St. Luke's Hospital (SD54), Aberdeen, South Dakota, at 2131 and was en route to Heart Hospital of South Dakota Heliport (2SD6), Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The helicopter was operated by Omniflight Incorporated, an on-demand air ambulance service. According to company personnel, the flight from SD54 to 2SD6 was considered a routine flight and the accident pilot was familiar with the route. The route was normally flown direct from SD54, navigated by pilotage and augmented with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. When flying GPS direct, the helicopter passes over Doland. According to company dispatch records, the helicopter departed SD54 and proceeded directly toward 2SD6. At 2149:49 (hhmm:ss), the company dispatcher asked the pilot for a position report. The pilot replied that there were four individuals on-board the helicopter, that the helicopter had two hours of fuel remaining, and that the estimated time en route (ETE) was 58 minutes. The dispatcher confirmed the pilot's transmission, includin
Probable cause
Pilot spatial disorientation while flying in dark night conditions, resulting in a loss of aircraft control; and the company's inadequate remedial actions after identifying the pilot's night flying deficiency over areas without lighted references. A factor to the accident was the dark night conditions.
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Browse: South Dakota · 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.
