Mbb BK-117-A1 accident near Kane, Pennsylvania, April 30, 1997
On April 30, 1997 at about 10:10 pm local time, a Mbb BK-117-A1 (helicopter), registered N122LF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kane, Pennsylvania. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to perform a low airspeed vertical descent with a tailwind, which resulted in settling with power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 1997 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Kane, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mbb BK-117-A1
- Registration
- N122LF · registry record · serial 7002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After a 30 minute flight to his destination, the pilot found the hospital helipad, which was about a 200 square foot area, with 40 foot high wires on the north side, and 35 to 50 feet high trees surrounding the rest of the area. A windsock indicated about 3 to 5 knots winds from the west/southwest. During the approach from the southwest, the pilot descended vertically to the helipad. The pilot attempted to stop the rate of descent with the airspeed below 10 knots. The helicopter shuttered with the application of additional power. The helicopter yawed right, and 'the additional collective pitch seemed to have no effect on slowing the rate of descent, the rate of descent seemed to increase at this point.' The pilot determined that he did not have sufficient space to fly out of the area and at impact, all remaining collective pitch had been applied. No master caution or annunciator panel lights were noticed, nor was any audio tones heard. A helicopter aerodynamics manual described conditions conducive to settling with power, which included a vertical or near vertical descent of at least 300 feet per minute, engine power between 20 and 100 percent, during downwind steep approaches.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,600 hours in all; 190 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 4,250 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,570 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 21, 1997; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,072 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming LTS101-650 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N96 Bellefont PA at 9:27 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from BFD, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 |
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 N122LF the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 IAD97LA070.