Bell OH-58A+ accident near Woods Cross, Utah, February 11, 2000
On February 11, 2000 at about 9:04 pm local time, a Bell OH-58A+ (helicopter), registered N7UT, was destroyed in an accident near Woods Cross, Utah (Skypark airport). It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to roll throttle back on (return the power to the normal operating range) during an attempted power recovery from an autorotation, and his subsequent failure to maintain aircraft control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 2000 · about 9:04 pm local time
- Place
- Woods Cross, Utah · Skypark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell OH-58A+ · all OH-58A+s on the register
- Registration
- N7UT · registry record · serial 71-20842
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the helicopter was to perform an autorotation during a maintenance flight to perform a functional check of the free-wheeling unit. A witness observed the helicopter at 100 to 150 feet agl, and he said that the main rotor blades 'stopped' and the aircraft started a slow spiral to the left, nose down. He further said that the helicopter was shaking violently, and its skids were flexing in and out. Postcrash examination revealed that the fuel control pointer, on the fuel control, was slightly above flight idle. Both cockpit throttles were observed positioned in slightly above the flight idle position. The helicopter's power analyzer and recorder (PAR) documented that at the time of impact, the engine's torque (TRQ) was at 13.5% and the main rotor speed (NR) was at 65.8%. The procedure for a power recovery from an autorotation is to smoothly roll throttle back on, confirm rotor and N2 needles are joined and in normal operating range, and simultaneously pull up collective while applying left pedal.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,641 hours in all; 923 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,015 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 11, 2000; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison T63-A720 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTF at 8:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,700 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from BTF, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N7UT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.