The Grand Canyon mid-air collision occurred when Grand Canyon Airlines Flight 6, a

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, which produced the aircraft from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then restarted ...

, collided with a

Bell 206 The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- and twin-engined helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec, plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter progra ...

helicopter, Helitech Flight 2, over

Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often consider ...

on June 18, 1986. All 25 passengers and crew on board the two aircraft were killed. It remains the deadliest accident involving a helicopter on United States soil, surpassing the crash of

Los Angeles Airways Flight 841 Los Angeles Airways Flight 841 was a Sikorsky S-61 helicopter that crashed at 5:50 p.m. on Wednesday May 22nd 1968 in the city of Paramount, California. All twenty passengers and three crew members were killed. The aircraft was destroyed b ...

in 1968, which killed 23 people.

Collision

On the morning of the accident Grand Canyon Airlines Canyon 6 took off from

Grand Canyon National Park Airport Grand Canyon National Park Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in Tusayan, CDP in unincorporated Coconino County, Arizona, United States.Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often consider ...

with two pilots and 18 passengers on board; the pilots were operating their second scenic flight for the day. At 9:13 am,Helitech Flight 2 took off from the company's heliport in

Tusayan, Arizona Tusayan is a town, but was a census-designated place during the 2010 census. It is located in Coconino County, Arizona, United States. It was incorporated in 2010. A resort town near the south entrance to Grand Canyon National Park, Tusayan i ...

for a 30-minute sightseeing flight. At approximately 9:33 at an altitude of approximately the Bell 206 and DHC-6 collided, with the helicopter on the left of the Twin Otter and the two aircraft traveling at approximately right angles to each other. The helicopter's main rotor struck the nose landing gear and tail of the Twin Otter. The Bell 206's main rotor was torn off and disintegrated; and the Twin Otter's tail separated; causing both aircraft to crash. All 20 passengers and crew on Canyon 6, and the pilot and four passengers on Tech 2, were killed in the accident.

Cause

The

National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incid ...

found that the crews of the two aircraft failed to 'see and avoid' each other, but could not determine why this occurred due to the lack of recorded flight data (there being no requirement for such recording for the scenic flights that were being operated). The accident investigation also found that the limited number of scenic points of interest in the Grand Canyon concentrated flights over these points, increasing the risk of collision; and recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulate the separation of flight routes of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Following the accident the FAA imposed changes to the operation of scenic flights over the Grand Canyon.National Transportation Safety Board report of investigation into mid-air collision over Grand Canyon National Park
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References

External links

Aviation Safety Network accident synopsis
* – (Impact area) {{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Canyon mid-air collision, 1986 Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1986 Airliner accidents and incidents in Arizona Accidents and incidents involving the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Accidents and incidents involving the Bell 206 Mid-air collisions Mid-air collisions involving airliners Mid-air collisions involving helicopters Grand Canyon Airlines accidents and incidents Grand Canyon National Park History of Coconino County, Arizona 1986 in Arizona June 1986 events in the United States

Collision

Cause

See also

References

External links