Pilot Says Tailrotor Problems Led To Accident

A news crew aiding in the search for a missing person became the story themselves Wednesday, as their helicopter went down in the Wheeler Peak wilderness of northern New Mexico.

Pilot Bart Cornell and camera operator Jeremy Fine were not seriously injured when their Bell 206 came down on its side, while trying to land on the rocky terrain.

The team from NBC affiliate KOB-4 were landing to interview Olga Valery, a police officer with the University of New Mexico who had gone missing Monday, but had just been found near the area where the accident occurred.

"Right now, we're just very thankful everyone is all right, very very thankful," KOB-TV news director Rhonda Aubrey told the Albuquerque Tribune.

Cornell told investigators the helo experienced problems with its tailrotor before the accident... although local CBS affiliate (and KOB competitor) KRQE-13 reports other pilots on the scene said the helicopter's crew had exceeded the Bell's operating limitations by attempting to land at the 12,500-foot elevation.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 44NM        Make/Model: B206      Description: BELL 206B HELICOPTER
  Date: 07/12/2006     Time: 2130

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Minor     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: TAOS   State: NM   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  N44NM, A BELL B206L-3 ROTORCRAFT, EXPERIENCED TAIL ROTOR PROBLEM AND FORCE
  LANDED ON ITS SIDE, WHEELER PEAK NEAR HORSESHOE LAKE, EAST OF TAOS, NM

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   1     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   1     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: METAR KSKX 122135Z AUTO 20015G18KT 10SM CLR 30/02 A3029

OTHER DATA

  Departed:                             Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

FMI: www.faa.gov