Bölkow BO 105 LS accident near Mud Lake, Idaho, November 14, 2001
On November 14, 2001 at about 7:33 am local time, a Bölkow BO 105 LS (helicopter), registered N93LF, was destroyed in an accident near Mud Lake, Idaho. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Pilot's failure to maintain adequate separation from terrain during the initial climb. Factors include spatial disorientation and a dark moonless night.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 2001 · about 7:33 am local time
- Place
- Mud Lake, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Bölkow BO 105 LS
- Registration
- N93LF · no longer on the register · serial 2038
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a written statement, the pilot reported that during a medical transport flight he performed a precautionary off airport landing due to a problem with the helicopter's fuel transfer pumps. After the repairs were made to the helicopter, the pilot initiated a normal departure under dark night conditions. Shortly after departure the helicopter collided with terrain. The pilot later reported that during the initial climb out, he lost visual references outside the aircraft and became disoriented just before the helicopter collided with terrain. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction or failure had occurred during the accident flight.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,300 hours in all; 230 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 4,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 11, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,811.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 5, 2001; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,733 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Allison 250-C28C (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Allison 250-C28C (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Mud Lake ID at 7:30 am
- Destination: PIH Pocatello ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.