Bell 412/SP accident near Bluefield, Virginia, April 22, 1994
On April 22, 1994 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Bell 412/SP (helicopter), registered N70AM, was destroyed in an accident near Bluefield, Virginia (Mercer County airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE, AND HIS IMPROPER EXECUTION OF THE INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE FAILURE OF THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER TO ADEQUATELY VECTOR THE FLIGHTCREW TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE AT THE APPROACH GATE, AS SPECIFIED IN THE ATC HANDBOOK.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1994 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bluefield, Virginia · Mercer County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bell 412/SP · all 412/SPs on the register
- Registration
- N70AM · registry record · serial 33206
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLT HAD DEPARTED THE NORTH CAROLINA BAPTIST HOSPITAL IN WINSTON SALEM. IT ARRIVED FROM THE NE AND WAS VECTORED FOR THE ILS RWY 23 APCH. THE LAST VECTOR WAS 240 DEG, WHICH WAS INADEQUATE TO INTERCEPT THE LCLZ. THE PLT WAS CLEARED FOR AND INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 7000 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON THE APCH. RECORDED RADAR DATA SHOWS THE FLIGHT DID NOT INTERCEPT THE LCLZ BUT PARALLELED ON A SW COURSE, A MILE LEFT OF THE LCLZ, WHILE MAINTAINING 7000 FT. THE FLT CONTINUED THIS COURSE UNTIL ABEAM OF THE RWY DEPARTURE END, BEGAN TO DESCEND, TURNED NW, CROSSED THE EXTENDED RWY CENTLERLINE, AND THEN PROCEEDED OUTBOUND FROM THE RWY ON APRX 230 DEG COURSE UNTIL THE LAST RECORDED POSITION ABOUT 5 MI SW OF THE ARPT AT 4100 FT ALTITUDE. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS ON A MOUNTAIN ABOUT 7.5 MI SW OF THE ARPT AT 3400 FT MSL. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT BEFORE HE HEARD THE CRASH HE COULD NOT SEE THE ACFT BECAUSE THE MOUNTAIN WAS OBSCURED BY FOG. BOTH NAV RADIOS WERE SET TO THE LCLZ FREQ. THE PUBLISHED IAP SHOWS A GLIDESLOPE INTERCEPT ALT OF 5000 FT, AND THE DH WAS 3157 FT. ACFT WAS OPERATED BY AIR METHODS CORPORATION.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,094 hours in all; 969 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,086 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 19, 1994; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,900 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6T-3B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Winston Salem NC at 5:47 pm
- Destination: BLF WV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from BLF, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO94FA071.