Bell 206 incident near Vick, Texas, April 8, 2009
On April 8, 2009 at about 7:00 am local time, a Bell 206 (helicopter), registered N295AE, suffered minor damage in an incident during enroute (cruise) near Vick, Texas. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Undetermined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2009 · about 7:00 am local time
- Place
- Vick, Texas
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206 L3 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N295AE · registry record · serial 51455
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot he heard and felt a prolonged "thud" during cruise flight at 1,000 feet above ground level and 110 knots. The airframe "wallowed" laterally and he felt resistance in the cyclic flight control followed by a return of normal aircraft control. He made a precautionary landing. An examination of the airframe revealed that the left side vertical winglet of the horizontal stabilizer was missing, and the lower vertical fin leading edge was damaged. The vertical stabilizer was not recovered. No evidence was found to determine the initiation of the damage. An examination of the remaining helicopter systems revealed no anomalies.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,206 hours in all; 7,353 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 10,031 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 3, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,817 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 30, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce C250C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Evac Ems, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Hot Hospital TX at 6:35 am
- Destination: 03TS Shannon Med Ctr TX
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 am from KSJT, 60 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 | |||
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N295AE the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.