Bell 206-L4 accident near Abbeville, Louisiana, June 6, 2013
On June 6, 2013 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Bell 206-L4 (helicopter), registered N720RL, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Abbeville, Louisiana. It was an external-load flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of maintenance personnel to ensure adequate torque of a tailrotor drive shaft coupling bolt, which resulted in the partial disconnection of the drive shaft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 2013 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Abbeville, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206-L4 · all 206-L4s on the register
- Registration
- N720RL · registry record · serial 52027
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was on its first flight after extensive maintenance. As the pilot approached a canal at an altitude of about 20 feet, he heard a noise and then a loud "pop." The helicopter then started to spin to the right and the pilot was unable to stop the spin. After about two revolutions, the pilot reduced engine power to idle, and the helicopter collided with terrain and water. Examination of the helicopter revealed that the connection between the tail rotor drive shaft and the tail rotor gear box was partially separated. Of the two bolts that connected the drive shaft to the coupling on the gear box, one remained secured by its associated nut; however, the other bolt had backed out of the drive shaft, but remained in the coupling, and its corresponding nut was missing. The helicopter had accrued about 0.7 flight hours since its most recent maintenance, which included removing and reinstalling the tail rotor gear box. It is likely that the maintenance personnel did not ensure adequate torque of a tailrotor drive shaft coupling bolt, which allowed it to be back out of the drive shaft.
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
- Part(s) separation from AC during maneuvering (hover) defining event
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during maneuvering (hover)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (hover)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,500 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 9,400 as pilot in command; 750 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 23, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,133 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 2013
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royc 250-30 SER (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: T&M Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: KIYA Abbeville LA at 3:40 pm
- Destination: KIYA Abbeville LA
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from KIYA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN13LA321.