Bell 206L-3 accident near Cherokee, AL
On December 30, 2007, a Bell 206L-3 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Cherokee, AL. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 30, 2007
- Place
- Cherokee, AL
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-3 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.689°N, 87.920°W
- NTSB ID
- 20080109X00032
Official records · NYC08FA071
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Excerpts from Operator's Communication Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 30, 2007, at 0306 Central Standard Time, a Bell 206L-3, N109AE, owned and operated by Air Evac EMS Inc., was substantially damaged during collision with terrain while maneuvering near Cherokee, Alabama. The certificated airline transport pilot, paramedic, and flight nurse were killed. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed for the local aerial search flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. According to the Safety Program Manager at Air Evac, the flight was initiated after they were notified of a missing hunter, who may have been injured or suffering from exposure. The flight was a voluntary mission, as the operator would not receive payment for the flight unless the hunter required air transport to a hospital. The Safety Program Manager further stated that the three occupants were all employees of Air Evac, and as such, the flight was conducted under CFR Part 91. Although no flight plan was filed with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Air Evac had a dispatch department, and maintained its own computerized flight-tracking program via "SkyTrac" software. According to the operator's tracking data and recorded communications, the flight departed the operator's base, located about 5 miles south-southwest of Northwestern Alabama Regional Airport (MSL), Muscle Shoals, Alabama, at 0151, and arrived over the search area at 0159. At 0250, the flight data analyst (FDA), working with the flight followers (sometimes referred to as flight communicators) in
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during an out-of-ground-effect hover. Contributing to the accident was a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
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Browse: Alabama · 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.
