Bell 206B3 N921RB
19 November 1996 · Ballston, Oregon, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 19 November 1996 at about 00:08 local time, a Bell 206B3 registered N921RB was involved in an accident near Ballston, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:08
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Ballston, Oregon, United States
- Coordinates
- 45.1005, -123.4196
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B3
- Registration
- N921RB
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA97LA029
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
a loss of control for undetermined reasons.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Witnesses observed the helicopter begin a left turn from north to west, then begin rotating to the left, after lifting an external load of Christmas trees. The helicopter rotated about 1 to 1 1/2 turns, then impacted the ground on its left side. Local winds at the time were from the southeast at 5 to 15 knots, according to the witnesses. On-site investigators found no evidence of airframe or engine malfunction, and noted dirt and packed mud in the engine compressor. The pilot, who was seriously injured, had no recollection of the accident sequence. In a test run of the engine at the manufacturer's facilities, the engine would not produce more than normal cruise power, but the manufacturer's test report stated that the only observable cause for this was extensive foreign object damage to the inlet guide vanes and first stage compressor blades. The engine fuel control and governor were also functionally tested and found to be slightly out of limits at certain test points, but the manufacturer stated that the exceedances observed would not significantly affect engine power output.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206B3 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Nov 1996 | Bell 206B3 | Dear, South Africa | Helipower Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 29 Jan 1995 | Bell 206B3 | Neacon, Nicaragua | Helica Helicopteros SA. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Apr 1994 | Bell 206B3 | Lamoille, Nevada, United States | El Aero Services | Fatal | 4 |
| 26 Oct 1994 | Bell 206B3 | Inver Grove Hts, Minnesota, United States | Roger A. Greenan | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 Jan 1993 | Bell 206B3 | Brigham City, Utah, United States | South Coast Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jun 1993 | Bell 206B3 | Stoneyford, California, United States | Smith Helicopters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Aug 1996 | Piper PA-12 | Astoria, Oregon, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Oct 1996 | Garlick UH-1H | Detroit, Oregon, United States | Usfs | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Aug 1996 | Grumman American AA-5A | Klamath Falls, Oregon, United States | Sweet, David, N. | No injuries | - |
| 12 Aug 1996 | Jonas EXEC 90 | Hermiston, Oregon, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Aug 1996 | Piper PA-20 | Mulino, Oregon, United States | James K. Warnock | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 1996 | Piper PA-38-112 | Sisters, Oregon, United States | Jack's Aircraft | Serious injuries | - |