Sunday, November 08, 2020

Bell 206A JetRanger, N123NC: Accident occurred November 08, 2020 in Raleigh, North Carolina

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Greensboro, North Carolina


Location: Raleigh, NC 
Accident Number: ERA21LA040
Date & Time: November 8, 2020, 14:45 Local
Registration: N123NC
Aircraft: Bell 206 
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under:

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Bell 
Registration: N123NC
Model/Series: 206 A
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Amateur Built: No
Operator:
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KRDU,416 ft msl
Observation Time: 13:51 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 12 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 25°C /16°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 8 knots / , 130°
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.33 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed:
Departure Point: Raleigh, NC (3NC2) 
Destination: Raleigh, NC

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 35.732111,-78.628722 (est
 



RALEIGH, North Carolina (WNCN) — A North Carolina State Highway Patrol helicopter crashed Sunday afternoon in Wake County, officials said.

No injuries were reported in the crash, which happened just after 2 p.m. near the intersection of Garner Road and East Tryon Road, according to North Carolina State Highway Patrol Master Trooper Chris Knox.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol helicopter facility is in the area where the crash happened.

There is no word on how the crash happened. Tryon Road is closed at Hammond Road because of the crash.

In photos from the scene, the damaged rotorcraft could be seen in the middle of a street. One photo showed the main rotors were destroyed and the tail section was twisted. The landing skids were bent upward and tail rotor was also bent and destroyed.

In 2018, a North Carolina State Highway Patrol helicopter crashed because the helicopter was still clamped to one side of the transporter used to take it to the heliport, according to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Bell OH-58A, N303HP, operated by highway patrol, crashed upon takeoff on June 19 and suffered substantial damage, the report shows.

The pilot “moved the helicopter from the hangar to the helipad using an electric/hydraulic transporter attached to the helicopter skids,” the report says. While preparing the helicopter for flight, the pilot unhooked the transporter clamp from the left skid. It was at that point the passenger asked the pilot about removing the controls from the co-pilot’s side of the aircraft, according to the report.

3 comments:

  1. so if it was still clamped to one side of the transporter, how did it get into the middle of the road?

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    Replies
    1. The chopper in the road is today's N123NC accident. The 2018 N303HP rollover from being clamped to the transporter was at a hangar area, see those photos at link below:

      https://dms.ntsb.gov/public/61500-61999/61695/619310.pdf

      Delete
  2. Looks like a classic auto rotation crash landing. The skids did their job and the cabin is fully intact. But I'm sure the crew on board are having some back pain tonight. Good job to the pilot if this indeed was a mechanical failure and auto rotation emergency crash landing.

    ReplyDelete