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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

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January 9, 1987 · Bell 206L-1 · N5004Q

Pollockville, NC

Overview

Report Status
Preliminary report
Event Type
Accident
Date
January 9, 1987
Injury Outcomes
4 injuries (4 fatalities)
Location
Pollockville, NC
Aircraft
Bell 206L-1
Tail Number
N5004Q
Operator
Omniflight Airways
Injuries
Fatal
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
NTSB Number
ATL87MA057

THE EMERG MED SVC (EMS/MED-EVAC) HELICOPTER (HEL) WAS ON A NGT FLT WITH A 3 MONTH OLD PATIENT ABOARD. AFTER RPRTG LVL AT3000', THE PLT TRANSMITTED HE WAS GOING TO MAKE AN EMERG LNDG. THIS WAS FLWD BY SVRL UNREADABLE TRANSMISSIONS WHICH APCHCTL PSNL THOUGHT WERE IN REF TO AN ONBOARD FIRE. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, A FLT NURSE TRANSMITTED ON THE HOSPITAL FREQ THAT THEY WERE ON-FIRE & WERE GOING DOWN. SOON THEREAFTER, RADAR & RADIO CTC WERE LOST. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HEL CRASHED INA SLGT NOSE DOWN, RGT BANK ATTITUDE & BURNED. IT WAS EXTENSIVELY DMGD BY IMPACT & FIRE. CRASH DMG REVEALED THE HEL HAD IMPACTED AT A HI VERTICAL VELOCITY & WITH LITTLE OR NO FWD MOVEMENT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE ENG ORAIRFRAME WAS FND. THE HEL HAD BEEN MODIFIED (MOD) FOR EMS OPNS IAW 4 SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATES (STC'S). THE MODS INCLUDED INSTLN OF A HI PRES OXYGEN (O2) SYS. DRG THE ACDNT, SVRL O2 LNS FAILED FM IMPACT OR FIRE, WHICH CREATED A BLOW TORCH EFFECT. THERE WAS NO PROVISION FOR EMERG SHUT-OFF OF THE O2 AT OR NR THE CYLINDERS. SOURCE OF FIRE WAS NOT FND.

Full Narrative

THE EMERG MED SVC (EMS/MED-EVAC) HELICOPTER (HEL) WAS ON A NGT FLT WITH A 3 MONTH OLD PATIENT ABOARD. AFTER RPRTG LVL AT3000', THE PLT TRANSMITTED HE WAS GOING TO MAKE AN EMERG LNDG. THIS WAS FLWD BY SVRL UNREADABLE TRANSMISSIONS WHICH APCHCTL PSNL THOUGHT WERE IN REF TO AN ONBOARD FIRE. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, A FLT NURSE TRANSMITTED ON THE HOSPITAL FREQ THAT THEY WERE ON-FIRE & WERE GOING DOWN. SOON THEREAFTER, RADAR & RADIO CTC WERE LOST. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HEL CRASHED INA SLGT NOSE DOWN, RGT BANK ATTITUDE & BURNED. IT WAS EXTENSIVELY DMGD BY IMPACT & FIRE. CRASH DMG REVEALED THE HEL HAD IMPACTED AT A HI VERTICAL VELOCITY & WITH LITTLE OR NO FWD MOVEMENT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE ENG ORAIRFRAME WAS FND. THE HEL HAD BEEN MODIFIED (MOD) FOR EMS OPNS IAW 4 SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATES (STC'S). THE MODS INCLUDED INSTLN OF A HI PRES OXYGEN (O2) SYS. DRG THE ACDNT, SVRL O2 LNS FAILED FM IMPACT OR FIRE, WHICH CREATED A BLOW TORCH EFFECT. THERE WAS NO PROVISION FOR EMERG SHUT-OFF OF THE O2 AT OR NR THE CYLINDERS. SOURCE OF FIRE WAS NOT FND.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time21:15 EST
Nearest Airport0nm N
Runway0
Flight Plan FiledCvfr
Aircraft FireBoth
Aircraft ExplosionGrd

Aircraft

AircraftBell 206L-1
Tail NumberN5004Q
Aircraft CategoryHeli
DamageDestroyed
OperatorOmniflight Airways
Operating RulePart 135
Engines1
Engine TypeTurboshaft
Engine DetailsAllison · 250-C28B · Turboshaft · 500
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury Summary4 injuries (4 fatalities)
Fatal4
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total4
Crew 1Age 39 · Second Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightBright Night
WindCalm
Visibility7 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point36 C / 30 C
Altimeter30.00 inHg
Observation Time02:45
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data