Bell 206-B accident near Sevierville, Tennessee, April 22, 2007
On April 22, 2007 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Bell 206-B (helicopter), registered N219SH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sevierville, Tennessee (Eagles Landing Heliport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper use of the flight controls while at a hover that resulted in the tail colliding with the ground, a subsequent hard landing, and collapse of the skids.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 2007 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sevierville, Tennessee · Eagles Landing Heliport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206-B · all 206-Bs on the register
- Registration
- N219SH · registry record · serial 1532
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he was hovering the helicopter from the left front seat using the collective pitch from the right front seat and the cyclic control from the left front seat. He said the tail of the helicopter collided with the ground and he applied improper flight control inputs. The helicopter landed hard on the ground and collapsed the skids causing structural damage to the fuselage.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,500 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 9,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,915 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2007; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,208 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 03TN Sevierville TN
- Destination: 03TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 2 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KTYS, 21 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.