Bell 206B accident near Orlando, Florida, August 9, 2006
On August 9, 2006 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N121RH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Orlando, Florida. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to refuel the helicopter prior to the accident flight, which resulted in a loss of engine power during cruise flight, and a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2006 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Orlando, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N121RH · registry record · serial 3443
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport certificated pilot, with four passengers, departed on a Title 14, CFR Part 91, local area revenue sightseeing flight in a skid-equipped helicopter. According to the operator's chief pilot, the accident pilot reported that while in cruise flight, the fuel pump warning light illuminated, and he began a precautionary landing approach to a vacant parking lot. While on final approach to the parking lot, the pilot said the "engine flamed out." The pilot initiated an autorotation, but the helicopter landed hard. The helicopter's landing gear cross-tubes were deformed, the pilot's windscreen was broken, and the fuselage received structural damage. An FAA inspector reported that an examination of the helicopter revealed that it had flown 1.5 hours before the accident. The helicopter's fuel gauge, annunciator system, fuel pump, and fuel system, functioned normally. A pressure check of the fuel lines revealed no leakage. The inspector indicated that the fuel tank contained about 40 ounces of fuel. The inspector reported that during his examination of the helicopter, no mechanical malfunction was found.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,350 hours in all; 745 in this make and model; 1,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,328 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 1, 2006; 36 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20` (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Magic Air Adventure, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 36FA Kissimmee FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from KORL, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC06CA122.