Bell 206B accident near Pratt, Kansas, June 11, 2023
On June 11, 2023 at about 7:06 pm local time, a 1972 Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N85RB, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Pratt, Kansas (Pratt Regional airport). It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 2023 · about 7:06 pm local time
- Place
- Pratt, Kansas · Pratt Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B, built 1972 · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N85RB · registry record · serial 831
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and a camera operator were conducting aerial pipeline surveillance at the time of the accident. At the initial planned fuel stop, the self-service Jet A fuel pump did not operate properly, and the pilot was unable to obtain any assistance from the airport. With over “half a tank of fuel”, the pilot decided to depart and conduct some additional pipeline surveillance en route to an alternate fuel stop. However, Jet A fuel was not available at the alternate fuel stop. Efforts to find assistance also were not successful. The nearest airport with Jet A fuel was approximately 40 miles away, and about 15 gallons of fuel remained onboard the helicopter. The pilot elected to proceed 15 to 20 miles and land next to a road in an effort to reach cellphone coverage or find a passing vehicle to request assistance. After clearing a windmill farm the pilot began an approach for landing near a road about 6 miles from the intended destination airport. About 100 ft above ground level, “the engine flamed out due to lack of fuel.” The pilot entered an autorotation and subsequently impacted an agricultural field. The aft cabin and lower portion of the aft fuselage sustained substantial damage. The landing skids and aft portion of the tail boom were separated. Neither the pilot nor the operator reported any mechanical failures or malfunctions associated with the helicopter 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
- Fuel exhaustion during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 22,057 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 27, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20 (turboshaft); 5,856 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3K8 Coldwater KS at 6:35 pm
- Destination: PTT Pratt KS
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; scat at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from KPTT, 6 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KPTT 111915Z AUTO 03013KT 10SM SCT029 SCT036 BKN065 25/16 A2995
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 27, 2023. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N85RB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.