Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On August 30, 2002, at approximately 1225 mountain daylight time, a Bell 206L-III helicopter, N43GA, was destroyed when it struck wires while maneuvering near Canon City, Colorado. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant aboard the aircraft, was not injured. Royal Gorge HeliTours was operating the aircraft under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal local flight that had departed approximately 5 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed.

The pilot said that he had been flying down in the canyon, and had come up to the surface to return to his helipad. He said that the helicopter's mast struck a wire, and severed the main rotor pitch change tubes disabling the aircraft. The pilot said that the helicopter came down vertically (20 to 30 feet) breaking the left skid, crushing the fuselage, separating the tail boom, and separating portions of both main rotor blades. the pilot's failure to maintain clearance of a static wire, and the subsequent loss of aircraft control due to the main rotor pitch change tubes being severed.