Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Benson, Arizona 85602
Thursday, July 2, 1987 14:00 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A BELL HELICOPTER 206L-3 COLLIDED WITH WIRES WHILE MANEUVERING OVER AN UNDERGROUND TELEPHONE CABLE. THE PLT INDICATED THAT HE HAD JUST COMPLETED A 360 DEG RIGHT TURN AT THE REQUEST OF THE PAX AND WAS APRX 185 DEG THROUGH THE SECOND TURN WHEN HE STRUCK A UNMARKED SINGLE STRAND POWER CABLE. THE PLT NOTICED A BRIGHT ELECTRICAL FLASH IN THE AREA OF THE ACFTS WINDSHIELD CENTER POST. HE IMMEDIATELY ENTERED AUTOROTATION AT APRX 80 FT AGL AND 60 KTS INDICATED AIRSPEED. THE TERRAIN BELOW THE ACFT WAS A VEGETATED DRY FLAT SANDY WASH. THE HELO LANDING HARD COLLAPSING THE SKID TYPE LANDING GEAR AND THEN ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PLT ALSO STATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE WIRES PRIOR TO THE COLLISION. THE WIRES WERE STRUNG ACROSS THE WASH WITH THE POLES MASKED BY CANYON WALLS ON EACH SIDE OF THE WASH. THE PLT DID NOT GIVE ANY INDICATION OF MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/2/1987 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | BENSON |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85602 |
| Event Date Year | 1987 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1505 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 96 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TUS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2641 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 35 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 40 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 5 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 6 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2199 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 2 1987 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1500 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 35760 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 2:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2123X |
| NTSB Number | LAX87LA255 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| 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 | 206L-3 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 206L-3 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 51003 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4250 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 1987 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3 |
| Airframe Hours | 1485 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AIR SERVICES INTERNATIONAL |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7300 E EVAN DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SCOTTSDALE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85260 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AIR SERVICES INTERNATIONAL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 7300 E. EVAN ROAD |
| Operator City | SCOTTSDALE |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 85260 |
| Operator Code | |
| 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 | 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | P33 |
| Departure City | WILLCOX |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1330 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | TUS |
| Destination City | TUCSON |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |