Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-3 accident near Picayune, Mississippi, August 22, 2025
On August 22, 2025 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1992 Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-3, registered N17TL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Picayune, Mississippi (Picayune Municipal airport). It was a personal 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).
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
- August 22, 2025 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Picayune, Mississippi · Picayune Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-3, built 1992 · all 206L-3s on the register
- Registration
- N17TL · registry record · serial 51603
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 22, 2025, about 1130 central daylight time, a Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-3 helicopter, N17TL, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Picayune, Mississippi. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The purpose of the flight was to inspect a hangar being built for the operator at the Picayune Municipal Airport in Picacyune, Mississippi. The pilot stated that he does a few practice maneuvers during each flight and on this flight, he was practicing a “quick stop” simulated emergency procedure. At the conclusion of the maneuver, while the pilot was pulling up on the collective to recover, he heard the low rotor RPM warning horn sound. The pilot verified that the throttle control was at full RPM; however, he noticed that the helicopter was no longer responding to the collective control. The pilot chose to immediately enter an autorotation from about 50 ft and when the helicopter contacted the taxiway, the left skid collapsed, the helicopter skidded about 15 ft, and came to a stop upright which resulted in substantial damage to the tailboom. The accident was not reported to the NTSB until February 26, 2026. During the intervening period, the helicopter was sold for salvage by the accident owner’s insurance company, and the airframe was disassembled for repair by the new owner. Due to the current disposition of the airframe, examination is not feasible. The accident was not known to the FAA until the new owner attempted to register the helicopter with the FAA in January 2026. At the time of notification, only the Rolls-Royce 250-C30P turboshaft engine was able to be secured for further examination. The disposition of the turboshaft engine between the accident and its recovery for further examination could not be determined. The engine will be examined at a future date.
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
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: 925Dt LLC
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from KASD, 13 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KASD 221553Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 31/24 A2994 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT S SLP138 T03060244=
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 NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.