Accident: Bell 212
Sep 10, 2023 · Balch Camp, CA
NTSB numberWPR23LA338Event id20230911193040
- 0
- Fatalities
- 1
- Serious injuries
- 0
- Minor injuries
- 0
- Uninjured
Probable cause
The pilot’s inadequate performance planning for the operation that resulted in an excessive gross weight for the operating conditions, leading to a loss of altitude during maneuvering and contact with trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to continue the flight despite a series of malfunctions with the water deployment system, and his subsequent inability to jettison the load, preventing a successful recovery from the loss of altitude.
Source: National Transportation Safety Board. Record last changed Oct 28, 2026, 10:54 UTC.
Aircraft involved
- Aircraft
- Bell 212
- Registration
- N873HL
- Year built
- 1978
- Category
- Helicopter
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Operating rules
- Part 133: external load
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying Low altitude operation/event
Source: National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident database. Counts only; Voydar holds no names.
This page restates the NTSB's public record. Injury figures are counts; Voydar does not hold or publish the names of anyone involved.