ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 45635
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| Date: | Saturday 16 February 2002 |
| Time: | 06:15 |
| Type: |  Bell 206L-1 LongRanger II |
| Owner/operator: | Universal Air Service |
| Registration: | N23PJ |
| MSN: | 45269 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6166 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | New Smyrna Bch., FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Orlando, FL (ORL) |
| New Smyrna Beac, FL (7FL6) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
When the helicopter failed to arrive at the destination airport, a waiting passenger became concerned and alerted local authorities, and a search for the helicopter was initiated. The downed helicopter was located several hours later in a swampy area approximately 6 miles southeast of the destination airport. According to local law enforcement personnel at the accident site, low clouds and reduced visibility existed at the approximate time of the accident. Examination of the accident site showed that the wreckage debris from the helicopter was scattered over an area approximately 300 feet long and 40 feet wide. Examination of the airframe and the engine assembly failed to disclose a system malfunction or component failure. Toxicology reports for the pilot noted 115mg/dl (0.115%) of ethanol in the blood and 153mg/dl (0.153%) in the vitreous.
Probable Cause: The pilot continued visual flight into instrument conditions that resulted in the in-flight collision with trees. Factor were the pilot's alcohol impaired condition, and low cloud conditions.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20020220X00233&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 09-Dec-2017 15:50 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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