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20250928012199I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 · Tusayan, AZ · September 28, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 28, 2025 · 14:15 local
Place
Tusayan, AZ
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
PG9A
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N178PA
Reported as
Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1
Reported engine
Allison 250-C20 series
People aboard
7
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
1,402 total278 in this make and model131 in the last 90 days
N178PARegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45319 · Built 1979Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1Engine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On September 28, 2025, a Bell 206 aircraft, departed on an air tour flight where the left engine couling separated from the aircraft. No other damage occurred.

Prior to the flight, the pilot conducted a preflight ispection which included removing the cloth engine cover. This cover is secured by straps attached within the engine compartment behind the cowlings. When the pilot removed the cover, the pilot failed to ensure the right cowling was latched. The missing cowling was discovered post flight.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2025, A BELL 206 AIRCRAFT, DEPARTED ON AN AIR TOUR FLIGHT WHERE THE LEFT ENGINE COULING SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. NO OTHER DAMAGE OCCURRED.

PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT CONDUCTED A PREFLIGHT ISPECTION WHICH INCLUDED REMOVING THE CLOTH ENGINE COVER. THIS COVER IS SECURED BY STRAPS ATTACHED WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BEHIND THE COWLINGS. WHEN THE PILOT REMOVED THE COVER, THE PILOT FAILED TO ENSURE THE RIGHT COWLING WAS LATCHED. THE MISSING COWLING WAS DISCOVERED POST FLIGHT.