Bell 206B accident near N. Wilkesboro, North Carolina, October 22, 2001
On October 22, 2001 at about 10:38 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N8104J, was destroyed in an accident near N. Wilkesboro, North Carolina (Wilkes County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain visual lookout and clearance above obstacles, which resulted in a collision with power lines and subsequent loss of control and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 2001 · about 10:38 pm local time
- Place
- N. Wilkesboro, North Carolina · Wilkes County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N8104J · no longer on the register · serial 501
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter collided with power lines in cruise flight approximately 130 feet above the ground, then collided with the ground and burst into flames. Power line cable 3/4-inch in diameter was found wrapped several times around the transmission mast, and the helicopter was not equipped with a Wire Strike Protection System. Examination of the airframe and powerplant revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction. It was observed that the rising terrain to the west of the accident site cast a shadow over the power lines at the time of the accident.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 4,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 25, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,445 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 9, 2000; 105 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Saber Cargo Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: UKF Wilkesboro NC at 10:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from HKY, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.