Accident · 1997-08-15

NTSB case LAX97TA289 · Bell UH-1H · Part 91

What the record says

Event date: 1997-08-15
Event type: Accident
Highest injury level: Minor injury
Aircraft: Bell UH-1H (N205DF)
Operating rule: Part 91
Operator: USDA Forest Service Operator named in NTSB report
Operated by (per NTSB report): USDA / FOREST SERVICE

Probable cause

The pilot's decision to attempt a takeoff in environmental conditions which exceeded the helicopter's performance capability, and his improper use of the collective, which caused a decay of the main rotor rpm, the collision with the lake, and the subsequent rollover. Factors in the accident were the high density altitude and the confined area.

Source: NTSB case LAX97TA289

Flight crew

Flight-crew details for this event aren't in the NTSB database extract we hold (its coverage starts with 2008 events) — a gap in our data, not an absence of crew.

Facts as the NTSB records them — GroundCheck adds no judgement. Preliminary records may be revised as the investigation proceeds.

All incidents →