Bell 206B accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, August 28, 2007
On August 28, 2007 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N100RW, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Palm Beach, Florida (North Palm Beach County Airpor airport). It was an instructional 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 flight Instructor's delayed activation of the throttle during recovery from a demonstartion of an autorotation resulting in touchdown on soft terrain and a nosedown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2007 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- West Palm Beach, Florida · North Palm Beach County Airpor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N100RW · no longer on the register · serial 1360
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the Flight Instructor, "the flight was concluding a training flight. The final exercise was a demonstration of an autorotation to a powered recovery. The entry and glide were normal. During the flare the throttle was opened to reinstate the engine power. At this point I was aware that I did not have sufficient power to bring the aircraft to a hover. I leveled the aircraft and prepared for a touch down autorotation. Contact with the ground was level but with some forward movement. The grass runway was soft due to recent rainfall and as a result the front of the skids dug into the runway bringing the aircraft to a sudden stop. The helicopter tipped forward with some force resulting in the mast tipping forward and the blade flexing down. As the blade rotated to the rear of the aircraft it came into contact with the tail boom and severed the tail rotor drive shaft. The aircraft did remain upright and level and I was able to perform a normal shut down. We then exited the aircraft to inspect the damage." The Flight Instructor further stated that "I should have opened the throttle prior to the [flare] in order to give the engine more time to recover before pulling pitch. I was simply late bringing the power back in." The Flight Instructor reported no engine or mechanical malfunction or failures.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,180 hours in all; 171 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 3,099 as pilot in command; 2,132 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 49 hours in all
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 531 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 1, 2006; 91 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ocean Helicopters Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: F45 West Palm Beach FL at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8L, 3,700 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PBI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.