# N79SP: Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1, registration cancelled 1997-03-25

- Type: Cancelled registration (FAA registry, deregistered aircraft)
- Cancelled: March 25, 1997
- Status when cancelled: Valid registration
- Airframe: [Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-textron-206l-1) (registry code 1182107)
- Data sheets: [TCDS H2SW](https://openairdocs.org/tcds/H2SW) (OpenAirDocs)
- Serial number: 45540
- Type of aircraft: Rotorcraft
- Certificate issued: November 29, 1993
- Last registry action: June 7, 1994
- Mode S code: AAB74A
- Owner when cancelled: [West Virginia State Police](https://openairdocs.org/faa-owner/WEST%20VIRGINIA%20STATE%20POLICE)
- Location: [South Charleston, WV](https://openairdocs.org/faa-place/WV/South%20Charleston)
- Owner type: Government
- Owner's area on the map: 38.3186° N, 81.7743° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at the center of ZIP code 25309, within about 3 miles (OpenAirDocs). The owner's mailing address, not where the aircraft was based
- The mark today: https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N79SP
- FAA registry: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=79SP
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N79SP-1997-03-25

From the FAA registry file of October 29, 2026, cancelled registrations. Owners' street addresses are left out. The Mode S code belongs to the N-number, not the airframe.

ADs and bulletins for the Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1: https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-textron-206l-1.md

## NTSB investigations (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC96GA083](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC96GA083), Apr 4, 1996: Bell 206L-1 (N79SP), Charleston, WV, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: the helicopter manufacturer's inadequate maintenance service bulletin inspection interval which failed to provide timely detection of preexisting fatigue cracks in the tail boom. Factors were: the…

## FAA accident and incident reports (1)

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [Accident 19960404045829A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960404045829A), Apr 4, 1996: Bell 206L1 (N79SP), Charleston, WV, Destroyed, 2 fatal. Tail boom skin seperated due fatigue in flight. Lost tail section. 206 then broke up. Tail skin inspection overdue.

## Other aircraft with N79SP

- [Cancelled 1983-05-04](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N79SP-1983-05-04): Bell 206B, S/N 892. Owner: [Department Of Public Safety](https://openairdocs.org/faa-owner/DEPARTMENT%20OF%20PUBLIC%20SAFETY), [Institute, WV](https://openairdocs.org/faa-place/WV/Institute)

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