Bell 412 accident near Karns, Tennessee, February 26, 2000
On February 26, 2000 at about 8:16 am local time, a Bell 412 (helicopter), registered N411UT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Karns, Tennessee. 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 a visual lookout while repo sitioning the helicopter at a road side landing zone resulting in an in-flight (hover) collision with a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 2000 · about 8:16 am local time
- Place
- Karns, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 412 · all 412s on the register
- Registration
- N411UT · registry record · serial 33125
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he landed at an landing zone to pick up in jured personnel. The slope was too steep so he decided to reposition the helicopter, and picked up to a hover. He was looking out the left side of the helicopter watching wires next to a driveway. He turned the tail to the right and the tail rotor collided with a 15 foot tall tree.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,891 hours in all; 1,838 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,259 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 17, 2000; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,900 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6-T-3B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 95A Knoxville TN at 8:01 am
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from TYS
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.