Bell 206L-1 accident near Greensburg, Indiana, August 31, 2008
On August 31, 2008 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Bell 206L-1 (helicopter), registered N37AE, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Greensburg, Indiana. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The in-flight separation of a main rotor blade due to a fatigue failure of the blade spar, rendering the helicopter uncontrollable, and the manufacturer's production of main rotor blades with latent manufacturing defects, which precipitated the fatigue failure of the blade spar.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2008 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Greensburg, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N37AE · no longer on the register · serial 45230
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The emergency medical services crew had attended a local fundraising event and was returning to the helicopter/crew base when the accident occurred. Witnesses reported that the helicopter made a normal departure. They subsequently reported seeing components separate from the helicopter before it descended and impacted the ground. The helicopter came to rest in a corn field approximately 1.2 miles from the departure point. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that an 8-foot section of one of the main rotor blades separated in-flight rendering the helicopter uncontrollable. Metallurgical examination determined that the blade failed as a result of fatigue cracking. The origin of the fatigue crack coincided with a large void between the blade spar and an internal lead weight. Further investigation determined that the presence of residual stresses in the spar from the manufacturing process, in combination with excessive voids between the spar and the lead weight, likely resulted in the fatigue failure of the blade. The manufacturer issued an alert service bulletin that identified main rotor blades that may have been affected by the combination of residual stresses and excessive voids between the spar and the lead weight. The service bulletin also called for supplemental inspections in order to maintain the continued airworthiness of the affected blades.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of control in flight during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Main rotor system › Main rotor blade system › Failure
- cause Organizational issues › Development › Manufacture/production › (general) › Manufacturer
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,493 hours in all; 1,915 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 5,467 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 10, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26,244 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, August 21, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Air Evac Ems Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: Burney IN at 5:15 pm
- Destination: Rushville IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from BAK, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.