Bell 206B III accident near Nashville, Tennessee, October 20, 1986
On October 20, 1986 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Bell 206B III (helicopter), registered N2204Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nashville, Tennessee (Nashville Metropolitan airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. 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
- October 20, 1986 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Nashville, Tennessee · Nashville Metropolitan
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B III · all 206B IIIs on the register
- Registration
- N2204Z · registry record · serial 3516
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS IN A DESCENT TOWARD A BUILDING IN A DOWNTOWN AREA WHICH HE WANTED AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF. AT ABOUT 1700 FT AGL HE REPORTED THE HELICOPTER JERKED HARD AND YAWED TO THE LEFT. HE INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION AND DURING THE DESCENT TO THE SELECTED LANDING SITE HE HAD TO BLEED OFF ROTOR RPM TO CLEAR WIRES ACROSS THE APCH PATH. A HARD LANDING RESULTED IN A STREET INTERSECTION. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THE SPUR ADAPTER GEARSHAFT FORWARD SPLINES WERE SEVERELY WORN. THE FORWARD END OF THE GEARSHAFT WAS FRACTURED. THE FRACTURE HAD ORIGINATED FROM THE SHAFT SPLINE TEETH. THE OIL DELIVERY TUBE FOR THE FORWARD SPLINE LUBRICATION DID NOT MEET REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,453 hours in all; 793 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 1,326 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,395 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 19, 1986; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JWN Nashville TN at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from BNA, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.