Bell 222 accident near Milliken, Colorado, March 13, 2009
On March 13, 2009 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Bell 222 (helicopter), registered N222LL, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Milliken, Colorado (Ft Collins-Loveland Municipal airport). 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 separation of the left engine cowling for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 2009 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Milliken, Colorado · Ft Collins-Loveland Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 222 · all 222s on the register
- Registration
- N222LL · registry record · serial 47060
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness on the ground was watching the helicopter when he saw several pieces fall off and subsequently land in his and a neighbor's yard. The commercial pilot said that he was en route cruising at approximately 1,500 feet above ground level when he felt a "bump on the controls" and heard a "bang" and thought that he had hit a bird. He returned to his departure airport 45 miles away for an otherwise uneventful landing. On postflight inspection, the pilot discovered that the lower portion of the left engine cowling was missing and that the cowling pieces had struck both main rotor blades and both tail rotor blades, but no evidence of bird remains were found. The impact caused substantial damage to the left engine cowling, both tail rotor blades, the tail rotor yoke, and the tail rotor gearbox. The pilot and his passenger were not injured. The pilot said that before departure he had conducted a preflight inspection; however, the Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the helicopter and the separated pieces of the left engine cowling found no evidence of bird remains and no damage to the cowling latches that would have prevented them from operating normally prior to the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › Engine cowling system › Not specified
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,780 hours in all; 170 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 5, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,895 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 2008; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,850 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming LTS-101 SER (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LTS-101 SER (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KAPA Denver CO
- Destination: Weld County CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:15 pm from KFLN, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.