Bell 206 - L1 accident near Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan, Gt, January 17, 2015
On January 17, 2015 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Bell 206 - L1 (helicopter), registered TGTOL, was destroyed in an accident during landing near Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. 4 people had minor 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
- January 17, 2015 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan, Guatemala
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Bell 206 - L1 · all 206 - L1s on the register
- Registration
- TGTOL · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On January 17, 2015, about 1545 coordinated universal time (UTC), a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, TG-GOL, was destroyed after impacting terrain near Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán, Sololá, Guatemala. The pilot and three passengers received minor injuries. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the government of Guatemala. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by, or obtained from, the government of Guatemala. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil Aeropuerto Internacional "La Aurora" Zona 13 Guatemala, Centro América
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
- Unknown or undetermined during landing defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.