On March 3, 1992, a Bell 206B III (registration N3201R) operated by Texas Dept. OF Public Safety was involved in an aviation accident near Falfurrias, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DUE TO HIS ABILITY TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BEING RESTRICTED. FACTORS WERE THE OBSERVER'S DELAY IN INFORMING THE PILOT OF THE REARWARD DRIFT AND THE DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Aircraft on covert drug interdiction mission at remote site, attempting blacked out takeoff, drifted backward and struck unoccupied mobile home, rolling onto roof. Operator lacked formal training for blacked out operations.
Incident
An aircraft conducting a covert drug interdiction mission at a remote landing site collided with an unoccupied mobile home during a blacked out takeoff attempt. The pilot lifted the aircraft to a hover and prepared to transition to forward flight in darkness, with no external lights, to avoid detection by smugglers. The aircraft drifted rearward and struck the trailer with its left stabilizer and left side, causing the aircraft to roll over onto its roof.
Flight Conditions
The incident occurred at night under overcast skies with gusty winds and no ambient light. The observer on board reported sensing the backward drift but did not alert the pilot in time for corrective action.
Training Issues
According to the investigation, the operator had not developed formal training procedures for conducting blacked out operations or for instructing observers on surveillance or aircraft operation orientation.