The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB CEN10WA205 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Bell 206 accident near Guatemala City, Gt, March 7, 2010

On March 7, 2010 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Bell 206 (helicopter), registered TGELE, was destroyed in an accident near Guatemala City. It was flown under rules the NTSB did not record. 5 people were seriously injured.

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
March 7, 2010 · about 7:00 pm local time
Place
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Type
Accident
Injuries
5 people were seriously injured.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Bell 206 L1 · all 206s on the register
Registration
TGELE · no longer on the register · serial 45463
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Flight · rules the NTSB did not record

The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record

On March 7, 2010, at 1900 universal coordinated time, a Bell 206-L1 helicopter, Guatemalan registration, TG-ELE, was destroyed during a forced landing in a field near Guatemala City, Guatemala. The pilot and 4 passengers received serious injuries. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the Government of the Republic of Guatemala. Further information may be obtained from: Republica de Guatemala Direccion General de Aviacion Civil (DGAC) Aeropuerto Internacional "La Aurora" Zona 13 Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala Centro America This report is for informational purposes only and contains information released by, or obtained from the Government of the Republic of Guatemala.

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

The aircraft

  • Landing gear: fixed

Weather at the time

  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew1
Passengers4

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.