Bell 206B N16671

Summary

On 15 April 2025 at about 01:00 local time, a Bell 206B registered N16671 was involved in an accident near Amboy, Washington, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

15 April 2025 at 01:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Amboy, Washington, United States

Coordinates

45.9399, -122.3773

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N16671

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Portland → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

NTSB number

WPR25LA134

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

On April 14, 2025, about 1800 Pacific daylight time, a Bell 206B, N16671, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Amboy, Washington. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he had been operating the helicopter for about one hour, practicing takeoff and landings. While about 800 ft above ground level (agl), he felt a shudder and heard the engine sounding differently, followed by the engine chip detector light illuminating and the engine losing power. He entered an autorotation, turned right to an open field, and landed with about a 20-knot tailwind. During the landing sequence, the tail skid contacted the ground initially followed by the tailboom separating near the elevators. The helicopter came to rest balanced on the right skid, right elevator and one main rotor blade. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom. A visual examination of the engine revealed damage to the compressor section. The helicopter was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.