Bell 206B accident near Nr Gatlinburg, Tennessee, July 26, 1983
On July 26, 1983 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N5733M, was destroyed in an accident near Nr Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was an other work-use flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 1983 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Nr Gatlinburg, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N5733M · no longer on the register · serial 2992
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE WAS BEGINNING HIS APCH TO A LANDING SITE AT AN ELEVATION OF 5200 FT WHEN HE FELT A BUMP IN THE TAIL ROTOR PEDALS. THE HELICOPTER BEGUN TO SPIN TO THE RIGHT & THE PLT FOUND HE HAS NO TAIL ROTOR CONTROL. AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING WAS MADE INTO THE TREETOPS WHICH HE ESTIMATED TO BE 125 FT ABOVE THE MOUNTAIN TERRAIN. REPORTEDLY, THE MAIN ROTOR MAST SEPARATED AFTER CONTACTING THE TREES & THE HELICOPTER ROLLED INVERTED & STRUCK THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. A SMALL POSTCRASH FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY A PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM THE HELICOPTER. BEFORE CRASHING, THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING USED ON AN EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATION. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT IT WAS CARRYING A 30 GAL BUCKET THAT HAD BEEN LOOSELY FILLED WITH FABIC STRAP. WITNESSES REPORTED THE ACFT WAS DESCEND AT APRX 40 KTS WHEN THEY OBSERVED 1 OR MORE OF THE STRAPS TRAILING FROM THE BUCKET. SUBSEQUENTLY, A STRAP BECOME ENTANGLED IN THE TAIL ROTOR & IT WAS OBSERVED TO HAVE STOPPED ROTATING.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 17 in the last 90 days; 6,950 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,350 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Mt. Leconte TN at 8:35 pm
- Destination: Indian Gap TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from TYS, 28 miles away
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.
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.