Bell 206L-1 accident near Bettles, Alaska, August 13, 1983
On August 13, 1983 at about 6:35 pm local time, a Bell 206L-1 (helicopter), registered N1081K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bettles, Alaska (Bettles airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 1983 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Bettles, Alaska · Bettles · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N1081K · registry record · serial 45407
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN THE FUEL GAGE WAS INDICATING 200 LBS. HE REPORTED HE COULD SEE THE ARPT LIGHTS & ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT. AFTER ARRIVING, HE TERMINATED HIS APCH TO A 30 TO 50 FT HOVER WITH NO FORWARD SPEED. AS HE APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC TO HOVER TO THE REFUELING AREA, THE ENG FLAMED OUT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD & THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM. AN EXAM REVEAL THERE WAS ENOUGH FUEL REMAINING IN THE MAIN CELL FOR APRX 20 MIN OF FLT. DISASSEMBLY OF THE SYS REVEALED THAT DEBRIS (DIRT & ZINC CHROMATE PAINT CHIPS) WAS IN THE FILTERS. THE FILTER SCREEN HAD OPENINGS OF .020 INCH. PARTICLES WERE FOUND IN THE FLOW SWITCHES. HOWEVER, THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE FLOW SWITCH PLUNGER & THE WALL OF THE CASING WAS ONLY .012 INCH. EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO INDICATE THIS RENDERED A FLOW SWICH INOPERATIVE SO THAT FUEL WOULD NOT TRANSFER FROM THE MAIN CELL TO THE REAR CELL WHERE IT COULD BE USED BY THE ENG.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,789 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 4,827 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,499 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 13, 1983; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,250 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C28B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTF Fairbanks AK
- Destination: BTT Bettles AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 1, 5,200 ft by 160 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 pm from BTT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.