Bell 206B accident near Kingman, AZ
On November 15, 2002, a Bell 206B (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Kingman, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- November 15, 2002
- Place
- Kingman, AZ
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 35.195°N, 114.051°W
- NTSB ID
- 20021122X05507
NTSB summary
On November 15, 2002, about 1630 mountain standard time, a Bell 206B helicopter, N16962, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with terrain after striking a power line about 15 miles northwest of Kingman, Arizona. The helicopter was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo private pilot sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Saint George Municipal Airport, Saint George, Utah, about 1530, and was bound for Lake Havasu City, Arizona. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on November 15, a sergeant for the Mohave County Sheriff's Office said his office received a cellular telephone call from a motorist, advising of the helicopter accident. He said when he arrived at the accident site, he saw a debris field about 50 yards long perpendicular to a line of power poles. He said the poles were about 60 feet high, with two power lines stretched between each pole. He said the site was in a fairly remote area of the desert, and that the power lines terminated at a ranch several miles from the accident site. He said the two power lines were stacked vertically on the poles, and the top line was about 4 feet above the lower line. He said the lower power line appeared to have been cut by the helicopter between two of the poles, and the top power line was intact. The sergeant said the owner of the ranch at the end of the powe
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from obstacles during cruise flight, which resulted in the helicopter striking a transmission line, and subsequently the ground.
More accidents in AZ
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Browse: Arizona · 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.
