Bell 206-L1 accident near Gentry, AR

On February 21, 2005, a Bell 206-L1 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Gentry, AR. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

February 21, 2005

Place

Gentry, AR

Aircraft

Bell 206-L1 · Helicopter

Injuries

1 fatal, 3 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

36.325°N, 94.579°W

NTSB ID

20050302X00252

Official records · DFW05FA073

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 21, 2005, at 1339 central standard time, a single-engine Bell 206-L1 helicopter, N5734M, operated by Air Evac Lifeteam was substantially damaged during a hard landing following a loss of control while hovering out of ground effect near Gentry, Arkansas. The commercial pilot, the flight nurse, and the paramedic were seriously injured and the patient was fatally injured. The helicopter was registered to Air Evac Leasing Corporation, of West Plains, Missouri, d/b/a Air Evac Lifeteam, and was destined for Springdale, Arkansas. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the air medical transport flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. According to Arkansas State Police reports, the patient was involved in a single motor vehicle, rollover traffic accident. A dispatcher with Bentonville Fire and Ambulance, Bentonville, Arkansas, dispatched ground units to the accident scene and contacted Air Evac Lifeteam. She told the Air Evac Lifeteam dispatcher that she had no details of the patient's injuries but the situation was "bad." The dispatcher requested helicopter support and provided global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the accident site. A review of Air Evac Lifeteam's radio transmissions revealed that at 1231, the Claremore, Oklahoma, based crew was dispatched to the accident site because the Springdale, Arkansas, crew were responding to another call. At 1239, the helicopter departed Claremore Regional Airport, and one minute later a crewmember reported there were three people on board

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper decision to maneuver in an environment conducive to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.

More accidents in AR

• Beech 65-A80, May 16, 2005
• Cessna 208B, Apr 28, 2001
• Piper PA-23-250, Nov 17, 2002
• Grumman G1159, Jan 19, 1990
• Piper PA-31-350, May 8, 2005

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.