# Accident 19890819033749A: Bell 206B, Fruithurst, AL, August 19, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 19, 1989, 11:50 local time
- Place: Fruithurst, AL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Pwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.7291° N, 85.4302° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7291&lon=-85.4302&mi=10
- Aircraft: N117V (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206B
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 5,960 total, 787 in this make and model, 397 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL89FA200](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL89FA200) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890819033749A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ENGINE OUT AND HORN ON CABLE LINE PATROL. ROTOR SLOW. GROUND IMPACT ON AUTOROTATION. CHOPPED TAIL.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (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 ATL89FA200](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL89FA200), Aug 19, 1989: Bell 206B (N117V), Fruithurst, AL, substantial damage. Probable cause: PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN MAIN ROTOR RPM WHILE EXECUTING AN AUTOROTATION WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW AUTOROTATION PROCEDURES…

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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.