Bell 206B accident near Goodnews Bay, Alaska, July 18, 1990
On July 18, 1990 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N4796B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Goodnews Bay, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT SELECTED UNSUITABLE TERRAIN. THE WET & SOFT TUNDRA WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1990 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Goodnews Bay, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4796B · registry record · serial 329
- 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 AT GROUND IDLE AFTER DROPPING OFF A SURVEY CREW, THE PILOT OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT SKID HAD SUNK INTO THE SOFT TUNDRA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FREE THE SKID AT FULL RPM THE HELICOPTER ROLLED RIGHT 90 DEG AND THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,284 hours in all; 1,609 in this make and model; 126 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 5,361 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,869 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 23, 1990; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison C20-B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 N4796B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.