# NTSB investigations: Bell 206L-3: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB WPR26LA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA086.md): Bell 206L-3 · Logsden, OR · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jan 15, 2026 · N868H · Substantial damage
  > The inadvertent entanglement of a long line with the skid, which resulted in a loss of flight control. Contributing to the accident was the use of nylon lines instead of steel cables to secure the bucket.
- [NTSB ERA25FA005](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25FA005.md): Bell 206L-3 · Owenton, KY · Accident · 3 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Preliminary report · Oct 7, 2024 · N230AE · Destroyed
  > On October 7, 2024, at 1730 eastern daylight time, a Bell 206L3+, N230AE, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Owenton, Kentucky. The pilot, a flight nurse, and a flight medic were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated by Air Evac Life…
- [NTSB CEN24FA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24FA094.md): Bell 206 · Hydro, OK · Accident · 3 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Jan 21, 2024 · N295AE · Destroyed
  > The helicopter’s inflight collision with cackling geese, resulting in an inflight breakup.
- [NTSB WPR22LA031](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA031.md): Bell 206L-3 · Covelo, CA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Oct 28, 2021 · N27TK · Substantial damage
  > A passenger’s unsecured object departed the cabin resulted in a collision with the tail rotor drive shaft.
- [NTSB WPR19LA071](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR19LA071.md): Bell 206 · Ashland, OR · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jan 23, 2019 · N8227J · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to continue visual flight into deteriorating weather, which resulted in an encounter with instrument meteorological conditions and spatial disorientation leading to a loss of control.
- [NTSB ERA16LA015](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA015.md): Bell 206L 3 · Dickinson, AL · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Oct 15, 2015 · N206CJ · Substantial damage
  > The improper installation by company maintenance personnel of the securing hardware of a tail rotor driveshaft section, which resulted in that section of tail rotor driveshaft disconnecting and a complete loss of tail rotor thrust.
- [NTSB CEN15LA229](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA229.md): Bell 206L 3 · Chesterfield, MO · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · May 7, 2015 · N127AE · Substantial damage
  > The collision of the helicopter's skid shoe with the runway centerline light during landing, which abruptly stopped the helicopter and resulted in damage to the fuselage.
- [NTSB CEN14FA122](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14FA122.md): Bell 206L 3 · Silt, CO · Accident · 3 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jan 27, 2014 · N207DS · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s inadequate preflight planning for a low-level aerial surveillance flight of power transmission lines, which led to his being unaware of the crossing power line while flying toward the sun and his subsequent failure to maintain sufficient clearance…
- [NTSB CEN14FA004](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14FA004.md): Bell 206L 3 · Venice, LA · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Oct 9, 2013 · N54LP · Substantial damage
  > A total loss of engine power due to the liberation of a second stage turbine blade near the blade root due to a high-cycle fatigue crack and subsequent overload. Although extensive testing and materials analysis was performed, the reason for crack initiation…
- [NTSB CEN13TA535](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13TA535.md): Bell 206L-3 · Amistad, NM · Accident · Minor injuries · Final report · Sep 7, 2013 · N721LL · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to arrest the descent following an abrupt maneuver to avoid birds, which resulted in an impact with terrain.
- [NTSB WPR13LA303](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13LA303.md): Bell 206L-3 · Missoula, MT · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 28, 2013 · N868H · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to prevent the helicopter from settling with power and to maintain proper position relative to an external load, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent hard landing.
- [NTSB CEN11LA252](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11LA252.md): Bell 206L-3 · (Gulf of Mexico) · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 24, 2011 · N32041 · Substantial damage
  > The loss of engine power due to an engine compressor stall as a result of ingesting methane gas during takeoff.
- [NTSB ERA09CA485](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09CA485.md): Bell 206L-3 · White Plains, NY · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 26, 2009 · N22ZA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to disconnect the ground power unit prior to takeoff.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('1182108')
    AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND s.aircrafts_position = x.position AND s."tier2Number" = '470' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent")))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence?model=1182108

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