Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Vernal, Utah 84078
Saturday, October 3, 1998 17:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THIS CASE WAS MODIFIED DECEMBER 20, 2005.
The pilot was attempting to land in a strong quartering tailwind because his passenger had become air sick. He said the helicopter 'was practically in a hover [with] full power applied. . .when a gust of wind from behind hit me just as I was turning into the wind using left pedal. The helicopter weather vaned, I reacted with full right pedal and then the gust either stopped or came from a different direction weather vaning us back to the west where I applied full left pedal. I could feel buffeting in the controls similar to turbulence. The right yaw was so rapid that I entered loss of tail rotor effectiveness.' The helicopter collided with terrain while it was still turning and rolled over. According to the passenger, the pilot had attempted landings earlier in the day but had difficulty with the wind. He succeeded in landing after several attempts.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Loss of tail rotor effectiveness. A factor was the quartering tailwind.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/3/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1730 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | VERNAL |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84078 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| 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 | 1753 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 285 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | VEL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5274 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 35 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 6967 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 711 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 3 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1800 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 20 2005 1:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N992SM |
| NTSB Number | DEN99LA002 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 206B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 206B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 4181 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 18 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1190 |
| Airframe Hours | 55 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CHARLES WARD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 575 E. 4500 S. |
| Aircraft Owner City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84107 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ENTERPRISE AVIATION, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 575 E. 4500 S., SUITE B 220 |
| Operator City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Operator State | UT |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 84107 |
| Operator Code | W9EA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SBS |
| Departure City | STEAMBOAT SPRGS |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1640 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BTF |
| Destination City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Destination State | UT |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 20 2005 1:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | JOHB |
| 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 | -- |