Bell

The helicopter, operated by the Virginia State Police, was substantially damaged during an emergency landing following an engine failure and autorotation at about 1335 Eastern time. The flight instructor and the commercial pilot were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the public-use flight.

At about 0124 Pacific time, the helicopter was substantially damaged while preparing for takeoff. Neither the airline transport pilot nor the two flight nurses were injured. Visual night conditions prevailed. One of the tail rotor blades had been strapped to the helicopters tail boom. Following the pilots engine-start operation, as the tail rotor began rotating, the tie-down strap broke.

The helicopter was substantially damaged at about 1258 Central time during a hard landing following a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff. The commercial pilot and flight medic sustained serious injuries while the flight nurse sustained minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, after takeoff and while approximately 100 feet in the air, the single-engine helicopter experienced a complete loss of engine power.

At approximately 1645 Central time, the helicopter disappeared under unknown circumstances. The status of the Commercial pilot and the two passengers aboard is unknown. Visual conditions prevailed for Part 135 on-demand air taxi flight. The helicopter was engaged in several flights between oil platforms in the Gulf. No distress calls were received by the operators dispatch or any aircraft flying in the area. When the helicopter failed to make its required position reports, a search was initiated. Search and rescue efforts were suspended on October 10, 2005….

At approximately 2045 Central time, the helicopter was destroyed when it impacted water following an in-flight collision with power lines while maneuvering near Cushing, Okla. The Commercial pilot and a passenger sustained fatal injuries; three passengers were seriously injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The flight had been chartered to provide sightseeing rides to guests at a birthday party. The wreckage was located in the middle of the Cimarron River in approximately four to five feet of water. The helicopter impacted and severed three power lines approximately 30 to 40 feet above the river….

At 15:10 PST, a Bell UH-1H helicopter crashed after an in-flight control systems failure while conducting an aerial spraying operation. The pilot was seriously injured during the accident and died two days later. The helicopter had departed a dirt-landing zone after being serviced with spraying chemicals moments before the crash. The pilot told his son who visited him in the hospital that the aircraft kept on banking in one direction and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Examinations of the helicopter have not been completed….

At 11:15 PDT, a Bell 206-L4 piloted by actor Harrison Ford landed hard and rolled over in the Lake Piru riverbed near Santa Clarita. The helicopter was substantially damaged but the two occupants were uninjured. The flight instructor reported that he and the trainee were practicing autorotations to a power recovery in the dry riverbed. On the second attempt, the trainee flared about 150 to 200 feet agl and attempted to bring in power to initiate the power recovery, but the power did not come back in time to recover to a hovering position. The helicopter landed hard and slid forward in the loose sand. The left skid struck a log and the helicopter rolled over onto its left side. No pre-acciden…

At approximately 11:25 PDT, an unregistered Bell 47 helicopter crashed four miles southeast of Benton City, killing the pilot. The flight, reported to have been a maintenance test flight, originated from the owners residence earlier in the morning. A witness reported hearing a pop-pop sound and then observed a column of smoke coming from the accident site. No aircraft registration or identification could be established for the helicopter, nor could any flight credentials be established for the owner….

At about 10:30 eastern time, a Bell UH-1H crashed 10 miles south of Southwest Florida International Airport during firefighting operations. The pilot was killed. The pilot had released the water from the external bucket onto the fire and was returning to the lake to pick up more water. Witnesses observed the helicopter in level flight heading toward the lake when it suddenly banked steeply and went into a nose-low attitude until it disappeared behind trees….

At 14:20 central time, a Bell 206B struck trees and terrain near Mineral Wells, killing the pilot. The helicopter was owned and operated by S-TEC Corp. of Mineral Wells and was being used to develop a helicopter autopilot system. The operator said the autopilot contained a rotary and a linear servo, but one of the servos had been removed and reinstalled during the previous 30 days, during which time the pilot had not flown the helicopter….