Bell 206 accident near Marathon, TX
On August 8, 2020, a Bell 206 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Marathon, TX. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 8, 2020
- Place
- Marathon, TX
- Aircraft
- Bell 206 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 30.192°N, 103.210°W
- NTSB ID
- 20200808X64216
Official records · CEN20LA328
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 8, 2020, about 1100 central daylight time, a Bell 206B helicopter, N284S, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Marathon, Texas. The pilot was seriously injured, and the three passengers were fatally injured. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial survey flight. The flight was conducting an aerial survey in the Texas Black Gap Wildlife Management Area. The pilot reported that, about 5 minutes before the helicopter was to be refueled, he felt a “slight” vibration; at that time, the helicopter was operating at an altitude of about 800 ft above ground level and an airspeed of about 69 knots. The pilot further reported that the vibration, which lasted less than 30 seconds, started as a “slight vertical vibration” but “immediately intensified to a severe lateral vibration” that made the helicopter “impossible to control.” The pilot stated that the vibration affected the main rotor system blades and that he felt most of the vibration through the collective and airframe with no vibration in the anti-torque pedals. The pilot informed the passengers that he would be conducting an emergency landing. The pilot recalled that during the emergency landing, he observed two distinct blade paths prior to impact. The helicopter lost lift and subsequently impacted terrain short of the intended landing area. A postimpact fire ensued. The pilot stated that the engine was producing power at the time of the accident. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot reported that he had accumulated about 2,500 flight hours in Bell
Probable cause
The in-flight loss of helicopter control for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
More accidents in TX
- Kubicek BB85, Jul 30, 2016
- Robertson C-414, Jul 29, 1982
- Textron Aviation B-300, Jun 30, 2019
- Beech B100, Nov 26, 1983
- Consolidated-Vultee PBY-6A, Oct 13, 1984
Browse: Texas · Bell aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
