Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lamoille, Nevada 89828
Sunday, April 3, 1994 16:36 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE HELICOPTER (HEL) WAS LANDED AT A REMOTE SITE DUE TO POOR WEATHER. AFTER LANDING, SNOW FELL & ACCUMULATED ON THE AIRFRAME. NO EXTERNAL ENGINE SNOW COVERS WERE AVAILABLE. THE AIR INDUCTION SYSTEM HAD SNOW BAFFLES & PARTICLE SEPARATORS, BUT THE ENGINE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN (OPTIONAL) AUTO RE-LIGHT IGNITION SYSTEM. THE PLENUM AT THE ENGINE INTAKE WAS INACCESSIBLE TO THE PILOT FOR REMOVAL OF ANY SNOW THAT MAY HAVE ACCUMULATED. ABOUT 1 HR AFTER LANDING, HE RESTARTED THE ENGINE & RAN IT ABOUT 15 TO 20 MIN. AFTER ABOUT ANOTHER HOUR, HE RESTARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN & RAN IT ABOUT 5 MIN. AFTER DISCUSSING SITUATION WITH DIR OF OPS BY RADIO, HE THEN TOOK OFF WITH A GROSS WEIGHT & DENSITY ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 2940 LBS & 7000', RESPECTIVELY. SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. DURING AN AUTOROTATION, THE HEL IMPACTED ON A 30 DEG SLOPE & ROLLED OVER. THE FLIGHT MANUAL (F/M) SHOWED THAT AT 2940 LBS, THE MAXIMUM DENSITY ALTITUDE FOR A SAFE AUTOROTATIVE LANDING WAS 2500'. THE F/M LIMITED HOVER FLIGHT IN FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW TO A DURATION OF 20 MIN, AFTER WHICH THE HEL MUST BE LANDED & CHECKED FOR SNOW AND/OR ICE ACCUMULATION. HOWEVER, GROUND OPERATION IN THESE CONDITIONS WAS NOT ADDRESSED. TESTS OF SNOW/ICE INGESTION IN AN EARLIER MODEL OF THE SAME ENGINE (ALLISON 250-C18) RESULTED IN FLAMEOUTS WITH SLUGS OF SNOW THAT WERE AS LITTLE AS 30 GRAMS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE INGESTION OF FOREIGN MATERIAL (SNOW) IN THE ENGINE, WHICH RESULTED IN A FLAMEOUT (LOSS OF ENGINE POWER). FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS (SNOW FALLING & HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE), THE LACK OF SNOW COVERS TO PROTECT THE ENGINE INTAKES WHILE PARKED AND AWAITING FOR THE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE, IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT AND THE COMPANY/OPERATOR MANAGEMENT, INADEQUATE INFORMATION IN THE FLIGHT MANUAL, AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/3/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1636 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | LAMOILLE |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89828 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 7000 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 5 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 787 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 3 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1916 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 11:03AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Unknown |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N27736 |
| NTSB Number | SEA94FA096 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206B3 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 206B3 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2773 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 17 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 39 |
| Airframe Hours | 6781 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | EL AERO SERVICES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 149 |
| Aircraft Owner City | ELKO |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89801 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | EL AERO SERVICES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | PO BOX 149 |
| Operator City | ELKO |
| Operator State | NV |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 89801 |
| Operator Code | AQHA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1634 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |