Bell 206L-1 accident near Farewell, Alaska, July 14, 1990
On July 14, 1990 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Bell 206L-1 (helicopter), registered N300AH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Farewell, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 5 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN INTERNAL ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A THERMAL FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE 1ST STAGE TURBINE WHEEL AS A RESULT OF OVERTEMPERATURE. THE HIGH ROUGH/UNEVEN TERRAIN PREVENTED A SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 1990 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Farewell, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N300AH · no longer on the register · serial 45519
- 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
WHILE APPROACHING A REMOTE MOUNTAINTOP SITE TO LAND, AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL AND 40 MPH, THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER AS A RESULT OF A CONTAINED ENGINE FAILURE, AND THE HELICOPTER MADE A HARD LANDING. ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED THAT THE 1ST STAGE TURBINE WHEEL HAD FAILED DUE TO THERMAL FATIGUE WHICH ORIGINATED ON THE TRAILING EDGE O.D. RIM SURFACE. IN ADDITION, BOTH THE 1ST AND 2ND STAGE TURBINE WHEEL AIRFOILS EXHIBITED EVIDENCE OF OVERTEMPERATURE OPERATION. THE FUEL CONTROL WAS PROPERLY SET. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN INTERNAL ENGINE OIL FIRE. FAST ENGINE SHUTDOWNS CAN ALSO RESULT IN OVERTEMPERATURES IF SUFFICIENT COOL DOWN TIME AT IDLE POWER IS NOT ALLOWED BEFORE THE ENGINE IS SHUTDOWN. THE TURBINE OUTLET TEMPERATURE GAUGE DID NOT INCORPORATE THE 'OVERTEMPERATURE LIGHT' FEATURE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,641 hours in all; 330 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 4,487 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,380 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 7, 1990; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C28B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Alaska Helicopters, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SVW Sparrevohn Afs AK at 11:00 am
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 am from MCG, 55 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.
Other NTSB records under N300AH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ANC90FA117.