- Date
- May 26, 1983, 20:00 local (May 27, 1983, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Billings, MT
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N16937Bell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830526025409A
- Case key
- 15988
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The helicopter made a hard autorotative landing after takeoff from an off arpt landing stie. The plt was on a personal flt with family and friends when a engine fire/explosion forced him to land. The fire was extinguished by the plt after landing. Post accident investigation revealed that the failure was due to error in the manufacture of the 1st stage turbine wheel. According to an allison spokesman the error in proper web thickness was made during the manufacturing process and escaped detection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16937
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2322
- Airframe hours
- 3,145
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Beartooth Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Blain Helicopter Sales & Servi
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · May 16, 1983 · 3,130 hours before
- Departed
- BIL · Billings, MT
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 27,000 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 27,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIL, 39 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.