Bell 222UT accident near Alcova, Wyoming, April 6, 2001
On April 6, 2001 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Bell 222UT (helicopter), registered N222LF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alcova, Wyoming (None airport). 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
the pilot's failure to maintain tail rotor clearance during a right pedal turn while hovering.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 2001 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Alcova, Wyoming · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- 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
- N222LF · registry record · serial 47528
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The air medical helicopter was performing a landing on a paved traffic turn-out immediately next to a state highway. The pilot was hovering the aircraft just above the ground, and he decided to reorient the helicopter to facilitate loading the patient. During the right pedal turn, the tail rotor struck a 55 gallon trash barrel. The helicopter yawed to the right, and the pilot brought the throttles to flight idle and landed the helicopter.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,315 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 2,989 as pilot in command; 1,900 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,915 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 15, 2001; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming LTS 101-750C (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Corporate Jets, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: CPR Casper WY at 10:45 pm
- Destination: NONE Alcova WY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; a few clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.46 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from CPR, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N222LF 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.