Bell 206B accident near Washington, District of Columbia, August 21, 1987
On August 21, 1987 at about 11:36 am local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N83080, was destroyed in an accident near Washington, District of Columbia. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. 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
- August 21, 1987 · about 11:36 am local time
- Place
- Washington, District of Columbia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N83080 · no longer on the register · serial 900
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A LCL PHOTOGRAPHY (SIGHT-SEEING) FLT. WHILE HOVERING AT APRX 200' ABV THE POTOMAC RIVER, THE ENG LOST PWR. THE PLT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION & DEPLOYED THE EMERG FLOATS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED IN THE RIVER & ROLLED OVR, BUT WAS SUPPORTED (UPSIDE DOWN) IN THE WATER BY THE FLOATS. AFTER RECOVERY, NO PREIMPACT PART FAIL- URE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRFRAME WAS FND. HOWEVER, A TEARDOWN OF THE ENG REVEALED THE SPUR ADAPTER GEARSHAFT (SAG), PN 6890482, HAD FAILED FROM WEAR & SUBSEQUENT FATIGUE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT THE FWD, SPLINED END OF THE SAG. DEBRIS (82% SILICON) WAS FND INSIDE THE OIL DELIVERY TUBE. THE OIL JETS FOR THE #2 & #3 BRGS WERE OBSTRUCTED, BUT THE JET FOR SAG WAS NOT OBSTRUCTED. THE PRECISE NATURE OF THE CONDS & CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO EXCESSIVE WEAR WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE HEIGHT/VELOCITY DIAGRAM IN THE FLT MANUAL SHOWED HOVERING FLT BTN 10 & 400 FT SHOULD BE AVOIDED (TO ALLOW FOR SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATIVE LNDG IN THE EVENT OF A PWR LOSS).
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,100 hours in all; 391 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command; 340 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,421 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 22, 1987; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Stuart Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: DCA Washington DC at 11:10 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 am from DCA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.