Bell 206B accident near Crowley, Louisiana, October 10, 2012
On October 10, 2012 at about 4:55 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N333DR, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Crowley, Louisiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the broadcast tower guy-wires.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2012 · about 4:55 pm local time
- Place
- Crowley, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N333DR · no longer on the register · serial 4340
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A witness, who was performing maintenance on a broadcast tower, observed a helicopter operating about 1/2 mile to the east, flying toward the broadcast tower. When the helicopter was about 60 feet from the tower, it banked to the left, away from the tower, and subsequently struck the number 4 guy-wire on the south side of the broadcast tower. After the helicopter struck the wire, it veered back to the right and descended to the ground. Postaccident examination of the helicopter, engine, and related systems revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tower/antenna (incl guy wires) › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,343.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 2012
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20J (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Broussard LA at 4:35 pm
- Destination: Beaumont TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from K3R2, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.