# NTSB SEA96LA205: Bell 206B, N206FT, Greybull, WY, August 23, 1996

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: August 23, 1996, 14:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place: Greybull, WY
- Coordinates: 44.489231, -108.049736 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.4892&lon=-108.0497&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report August 21, 1997
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 42457
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA96LA205
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/42457/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA96LA205

## Probable cause

the pilot's misjudged recovery (remedial action) from a simulated autorotation demonstration.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown
  - emergency procedure - simulated, pilot in command
  - autorotation - initiated, pilot in command
  - remedial action - misjudged, pilot in command (cause)
  - flare - not attained, pilot in command

## Analysis

While in cruise flight, the pilot elected to demonstrate an autorotation to his passenger. During the recovery attempt, the pilot noted horn activation and illumination of the red light on the caution panel. He leveled the helicopter and applied pitch for landing. The helicopter rocked, and the main rotor hit the tail boom, causing it to separate. The pilot stated that he did not believe the engine had lost power.

## Factual narrative

On August 23, 1996, approximately 1435 mountain daylight time, a Bell 206-B3 helicopter, N206FT, sustained substantial damage while maneuvering near Greybull, Wyoming.  The airline transport pilot and his passenger were uninjured.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.  No flight plan was filed, and there was no report of an ELT actuating.

The pilot stated that he was demonstrating autorotations to his passenger.  At 800 feet above the ground and about 80 knots airspeed, he rolled off the throttle and initiated the maneuver, planned to be a power-on recovery.  At the time he flared to recover, he heard a horn and had a light on the panel.  The aircraft touched down easy on the nearly level surface and slid less than one yard.  The main rotor separated the tailboom.  The pilot did not believe that the aircraft had sustained a loss of power, and he surmised that he may have made a pitch change application at too high an altitude.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N206FT](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N206FT), registered now, S/N 2539, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Bell 206B
- Registry model: [Bell 206B](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (registry code 1181511) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Allison 250 SER 400HP](https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-ser-400hp) (registry code 03013, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Helicopter
- Serial number: 4502
- Airframe hours: 680
- Engines: Allison 250-C20R 450 horsepower turbo shaft
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Pied Piper Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, July 10, 1996, 60 hours before
- Departed: WY
- Destination: GEY, WY

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 66; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter, airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 15,101 total, 1,252 in this make and model, 6,132 as pilot in command, 11 in the last 90 days, 9 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 82 °F

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19960823024289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960823024289A), Aug 23, 1996: Bell 206B, Greybull, WY, Substantial damage. Demo autorotations. Flared for power recovery. Horn and light. Pitch changed too soon. Rotors chopped tailboom.

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.

---
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.