Bell 222 accident near Leadville, Colorado, March 23, 1989
On March 23, 1989 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Bell 222 (helicopter), registered N5008Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Leadville, Colorado (Leadville airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO COMPENSATE ADEQUATELY FOR WIND CONDITIONS WITH RUDDER PEDALS WHILE MANEUVERING IN UNFAVORABLE WIND AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 1989 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Leadville, Colorado · Leadville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 222 · all 222s on the register
- Registration
- N5008Q · no longer on the register · serial 47009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT & A TECHNICIAN WERE PERFORMING REARWARD FLT TO TEST AN EXPERIMENTAL ENG INSTLN. THE MANEUVER USED WAS A REARWARD HOVER TO 20 KTS, FOLLOWED BY A RIGHT PEDAL TURN TO REVERSE COURSE & FLY AWAY. THE PLT WAS USING RWY 16 & THE WIND WAS FROM 260 DEG AT 12 KTS. THE PLT RPRTD THAT DRG THE RIGHT TURN, THE HELICOPTER ENTERED AN UNCOMMANDED RIGHT SPIN. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ANTI-TORQUE CONTROL & LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE TO LAND. HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN WITH SIDEWARD MOVEMENT, COLLAPSING THE NOSE & LEFT MAIN GEAR. THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE RWY DRG THE GEAR FAILURE & THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX WAS TORN FROM THE TAIL SECTION. THE PLT ORIGINALLY SUSPECTED A HYDRAULIC PROBLEM, BUT AN INSPN FAILED TO REVEAL EVIDENCE OF ANY PRE-ACDNT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. ELEVATION & TEMPERATURE WERE 9927 FT & 65 DEG, RESPECTIVELY.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,490 hours in all; 102 in this make and model; 77 in the last 90 days; 61 in the last 30 days; 1,313 as pilot in command; 64 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,850 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison 250-C30G (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LVX at 6:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 5,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.