Bell 212 accident near Aguascalientes, Mx, February 28, 2009
On February 28, 2009 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Bell 212 (helicopter), registered XCDES, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Aguascalientes. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 10 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Not Required. Investigation is being conducted by the DGAC, Mexico.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2009 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Aguascalientes, Mexico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 10 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 212 · all 212s on the register
- Registration
- XCDES · no longer on the register · serial 30978
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Not Required. Investigation is being conducted by the DGAC, Mexico.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: Aguascalientes
- Destination: Aguascalientes
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 8 |
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.