Bell 222UT incident near Des Moines, Iowa, June 21, 1995
On June 21, 1995 at about 5:18 am local time, a Bell 222UT (helicopter), registered N274SM, suffered minor damage in an incident near Des Moines, Iowa. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
delamination of the left engine air inlet duct.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 1995 · about 5:18 am local time
- Place
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 222UT · all 222UTs on the register
- Registration
- N274SM · registry record · serial 47537
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that approximately one minute after takeoff, the emergency medical service helicopter experienced a left yaw. The nurse and paramedic, who were seated in the back, reported hearing a 'pop.' The number 1 engine-out indicator light illuminated, the pilot reduced the throttle to flight idle, and he made a turn toward the airport to land. The pilot stated that the number 1 engine-fire indicator light illuminated and he armed and discharged the fire extinguisher bottle. An emergency landing was made and the pilot and passengers were able to evacuate without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed that the engine air inlet duct on the left engine had collapsed internally due to delamination. A service bulletin addressing this issue had been complied with.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,117 hours in all; 1,457 in this make and model; 101 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 5,779 as pilot in command; 1,381 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,640 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 13, 1995; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,250 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming LTS-101-750C1 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IA82 IA at 5:18 am
- Destination: IA67
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0, 9,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.