Bell 206B N16937

Summary

On 27 May 1983 at about 02:00 local time, a Bell 206B registered N16937, operated by Beartooth Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Billings, Montana, United States. 5 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

27 May 1983 at 02:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Billings, Montana, United States

Coordinates

45.6503, -108.3805

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N16937

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Beartooth Helicopters

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Billings → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

DEN83FA122

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.