Narrative:
The DHC-6 took off from Grand Canyon-National Park Airport runway 21 at 08:55 for a 50-minute air tour over Grand Canyon National Park. At 09:13 a Helitech Bell 206B JetRanger (N6TC) took off from a heliport near Tusayan for a 30-minute air tour.
Both aircraft collided in the area of the Tonto Plateau, at an altitude of 6500 feet msl. The Bell main rotor blade struck and severed the DHC-6's nosegear. The opposite blade of the Bell struck the aft portion of the fuselage of the DHC-6.
A fuel cell of the Vista Liner was ruptured, creating a vaporous cloud of fuel. The rotor head of the Bell 206 separated and debris from the disintegrating rotor blade struck the left side and tail of the DHC-6. The tail separated, causing the DHC-6 to lose control and pitch over. The aircraft struck the ground in an inverted attitude and the helicopter free-fell to the ground following the rotor blade separation.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The failure of the flight crew of both aircraft to 'see and avoid' each other for undetermined reasons.
Contributing to the accident was the failure of the Federal Aviation Administration to exercise its oversight responsibility over flight operations in the Grand Canyon scenic air tour operators. Also contributing to the accident was the modification and configuration of the routes of the rotary-wing operators resulting in their intersecting with the routes of Grand Canyon Airlines near Crystal Rapids."
Loss of control
» NTSB/AAR-87/03
accident date: 18-06-1986
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Vista Liner 300
registration: N76GC
accident date: 18-06-1986
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Vista Liner 300
registration: N386EX
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Wednesday 18 June 1986 |
| Time: | 09:33 MST |
| Type: |  de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Vista Liner 300 |
| Operator: | Grand Canyon Airlines |
| Registration: | N76GC |
| MSN: | 248 |
| First flight: | 1969 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 30569 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 18 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 20 / Occupants: 20 |
| Collision casualties: | Fatalities: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Grand Canyon National Park, AZ ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Grand Canyon-National Park Airport, AZ (GCN/KGCN), United States of America |
| Grand Canyon-National Park Airport, AZ (GCN/KGCN), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | 6 |
The DHC-6 took off from Grand Canyon-National Park Airport runway 21 at 08:55 for a 50-minute air tour over Grand Canyon National Park. At 09:13 a Helitech Bell 206B JetRanger (N6TC) took off from a heliport near Tusayan for a 30-minute air tour.
Both aircraft collided in the area of the Tonto Plateau, at an altitude of 6500 feet msl. The Bell main rotor blade struck and severed the DHC-6's nosegear. The opposite blade of the Bell struck the aft portion of the fuselage of the DHC-6.
A fuel cell of the Vista Liner was ruptured, creating a vaporous cloud of fuel. The rotor head of the Bell 206 separated and debris from the disintegrating rotor blade struck the left side and tail of the DHC-6. The tail separated, causing the DHC-6 to lose control and pitch over. The aircraft struck the ground in an inverted attitude and the helicopter free-fell to the ground following the rotor blade separation.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The failure of the flight crew of both aircraft to 'see and avoid' each other for undetermined reasons.
Contributing to the accident was the failure of the Federal Aviation Administration to exercise its oversight responsibility over flight operations in the Grand Canyon scenic air tour operators. Also contributing to the accident was the modification and configuration of the routes of the rotary-wing operators resulting in their intersecting with the routes of Grand Canyon Airlines near Crystal Rapids."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Mid air collisionLoss of control
Sources:
» ICAO Circular 245-AN/147» NTSB/AAR-87/03
Follow-up / safety actions
NTSB issued 3 Safety Recommendations
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Photos
accident date: 18-06-1986
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Vista Liner 300
registration: N76GC
accident date: 18-06-1986
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Vista Liner 300
registration: N386EX
Map
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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