Bell UH1B accident near Bataan, Cr, December 21, 2010
On December 21, 2010 at about 3:50 am local time, a Bell UH1B (helicopter), registered TIAZM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bataan. It was flown under non-U.S. private rules. The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
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
- December 21, 2010 · about 3:50 am local time
- Place
- Bataan, Costa Rica
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Bell UH1B · all UH1Bs on the register
- Registration
- TIAZM · no longer on the register · serial 4648
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On December 21, 2010, about 0350 coordinated universal time (UTC), a Bell UH-1B helicopter, TI-AZM, impacted terrain following a loss of engine power, in a remote area, near Bataan, Costa Rica. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the government of Costa Rica. This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from the Costa Rican government. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: INVESTIGACIÓN DE ACCIDENTES E INCIDENTES AEREOS Apdo. Postal 5026-1000 San José, Costa Rica www.dgac.go.cr
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)
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.