Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On June 2, 1995, at 1215 mountain daylight time, a Bell 206B-III helicopter, N85RP, sustained substantial damage during a precautionary landing near Meeker, Colorado. The airline transport rated pilot and passenger were not injured. The helicopter was being operated as a public use flight by the Department of the Interior under Title 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

According to the pilot, he landed the helicopter on the snow covered ground to pick up passengers who had been measuring snow pack at 11,200 feet above mean sea level. One passenger boarded the helicopter. (Due to aircraft performance at altitude one passenger per load was maximum.) Following the takeoff, the canopy fogged and the pilot made a precautionary landing. During the landing, the pilot selected his landing point by looking out the side window. The pilot said that as he lowered the collective after landing, the helicopter broke through the snow and rolled approximately 30 degrees left. The main rotor severed the tail boom and the main rotor shaft fractured which was followed by a main rotor blade penetrating the cabin. FAILURE BY THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING LANDING. A FACTOR WAS SOFT TERRAIN.