Bell 206B accident near Walford, Iowa, June 30, 2006
On June 30, 2006 at about 5:51 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N2877F, was destroyed in an accident near Walford, Iowa. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from powerlines. The powerlines were a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2006 · about 5:51 pm local time
- Place
- Walford, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2877F · no longer on the register · serial 2971
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was destroyed when it impacted power lines and the ground while filming for a motion picture. The pilot and one passenger received serious injuries. One passenger was fatally injured. The motion picture camera's film was developed and a dubbed version was examined by the National Transportation Safety Board's Vehicle Recorder Division. The video contained several recorded scenes of a car travelling on a highway. During the final portion of the last recorded scene, the helicopter's speed and altitude were estimated to be 50 to 60 miles per hour and 30 and 50 feet above the ground as it travelled parallel to the highway. The recording did not contain evidence of any avoidance or maneuver prior to the end of the recording. Local authorities confirmed that power lines that ran perpendicular to the road that the helicopter paralled were severed when they arrived at the accident scene. The height of the wires was estimated to be about 50 feet. No aircraft, control or engine anomalies were found that could be determined to have existed prior to the accident.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,642 hours in all; 78 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,392 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Walford IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 pm from KCID, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.