Bell UH-1H accident near Raton, NM
On January 18, 2018, a Bell UH-1H (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Raton, NM. 5 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 18, 2018
- Place
- Raton, NM
- Aircraft
- Bell UH-1H · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 5 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.704°N, 104.287°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180118X03803
Official records · CEN18FA078
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Memorandum for Record - Communication Summary - B Petrini: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Memorandum for Record – Communication Summary - M Pachelli: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Memorandum for Record – Communication Summary - Captain C Henson: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn January 17, 2018, about 1800 mountain standard time, a Bell UH-1H helicopter, N658H, impacted terrain near Raton, New Mexico. The helicopter was subsequently consumed by a postimpact fire. The commercial pilot, a pilot-rated passenger, and three other passengers were fatally injured. One passenger sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was destroyed. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Sapphire Aviation LLC as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area about the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Raton Municipal Airport/Crews Field (RTN), near Raton, New Mexico, about 1750 and was destined for Folsom, New Mexico. According to a statement taken by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspectors, the surviving passenger stated that the group of passengers boarded a private airplane in Houston, Texas and the airplane flew them to Raton, New Mexico. They subsequently boarded a company helicopter. The purpose of the helicopter flight was to take the group to personal function in Folsom, New Mexico. The passenger reported that the takeoff was normal. As they were flying east, the sun had gone down, and the stars were very bright. The passenger reported no turbulence during the flight. There were no unusual noises, no observed warning lights in the cockpit, and the pilot and copilot were calm; everything appeared normal. The passenger recalled that they were in level flight and when she heard a big bang as the helic
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude above mountainous terrain during cruise flight in dark night conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
From Wikipedia
On January 17, 2018, a Bell UH-1H Iroquois helicopter of Sapphire Aviation crashed near Raton, New Mexico, United States. Five of the six people on board were killed. The sole survivor was in serious condition.
Text from Wikipedia, “2018 Sapphire Aviation Bell UH-1 crash”, CC BY-SA 4.0; shortened to the introduction. Authors.
More accidents in NM
- Gates Learjet 25D, Sep 5, 1993
- Piper PA-32-300, Dec 26, 1982
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-30, Jun 25, 1992
- Cessna 421C, Feb 11, 1985
- Beech 58, Mar 26, 1982
Browse: New Mexico · 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.
