Bell 206L-3 Helicopter Crash in New Mexico (N213TV)

Accident Overview and Flight Details On September 16, 2017, at approximately 1635 mountain daylight time, a Bell 206L-3 helicopter, registration N213TV, impacted terrain near Ancho, New Mexico. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries, and the helicopter was destroyed. The aircraft was registered to LIN Television Corporation in Providence, Rhode Island, and was operated by WQRE, TV 13, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the flight, which originated from Roswell International Air Center Airport (ROW) at 1554 and was destined for Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ). The pilot had previously flown from ABQ to ROW the day before to conduct a news story in the Carlsbad, New Mexico area, and spent the night in Roswell before the return flight. A person located near the accident site reported seeing smoke and driving to investigate. The individual found the wreckage and notified local authorities, speculating the crash occurred between 1600 and 1700. A Garmin Aera 796 GPS unit was recovered at the scene. Flight track data indicated a straight-line northwest heading from departure, starting at a GPS altitude of 3,681 feet. For the final five minutes, the helicopter's GPS altitude varied between 6,200 and 6,456 feet, the last recorded altitude. The ground elevation near the accident site ranged from 6,000 to 6,400 feet, with the initial impact point at 6,330 feet. The last recorded data placed the helicopter approximately 1.5 nautical miles from the accident site.