Bell 206B accident near Anneville, Kentucky, July 15, 1985
On July 15, 1985 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N16646, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anneville, Kentucky. It was an executive or corporate 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 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 15, 1985 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Anneville, Kentucky · 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
- N16646 · no longer on the register · serial 2132
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FAILURE FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED IN A PASTURE AND DURING THE LANDING THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. POST CRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE HYDRAULIC FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT OF THE SYSTEM. HOWEVER, NO PRE-EXISTING FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION IN THE POWERPLANT SYSTEM COULD BE FOUND WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A LOSS OF POWER. DURING ENGINE TEST RUN THE ENGINE OPERATED TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,975 hours in all; 1,328 in this make and model; 246 in the last 90 days; 98 in the last 30 days; 13,464 as pilot in command; 2,839 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,349 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 15, 1985; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,570 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HTS Huntington WV at 6:00 pm
- Destination: Grayson KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from LOZ, 16 miles away
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.