Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429 accident near Shreveport, LA
On February 15, 2017, a Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Shreveport, LA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 15, 2017
- Place
- Shreveport, LA
- Aircraft
- Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 429 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 32.311°N, 93.706°W
- NTSB ID
- 20170215X50149
Official records · CEN17FA103
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn February 15, 2017, at 0023 central standard time, a Bell 429 helicopter, N598PB, impacted terrain and water at Wallace Lake near Shreveport, Louisiana. The private rated pilot and passenger were both fatally injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The helicopter was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Dark night instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The flight originated from a field in Bossier City, Louisiana, and was en route to Center Municipal Airport (F17), Center, Texas. The helicopter was in contact with air traffic control. When the helicopter disappeared from radar unexpectedly and did not respond to radio communications, it was the subject of an alert notice and was located on the afternoon of February 15. The wreckage was located at the southern end of Wallace Lake. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for helicopter, airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. His log books were not recovered during the investigation and the pilot's total time, and night experience is not known. While the pilot held a rating for instrument airplane, it is not known how much training the pilot obtained, if any, for an instrument helicopter rating. On May 26, 2015, the pilot was issued a third-class medical certificate with the limitation that he "must wear correct lenses for near and distant vision." He reported no
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions resulting in spatial disorientation, loss of control, and subsequent impact with terrain.
More accidents in LA
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Browse: Louisiana
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
