Bell 206BII accident near Farmington, Minnesota, July 20, 1985
On July 20, 1985 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Bell 206BII (helicopter), registered N49737, was substantially damaged in an accident near Farmington, Minnesota. It was a business 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
- July 20, 1985 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Farmington, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206BII · all 206BIIs on the register
- Registration
- N49737 · no longer on the register · serial 2024
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING MANEUVERING TO LD IN AN UNCULTIVATED FLD THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK A FENCE POST,FROM A DISMANTLED FENCE,THAT WAS CONCEALED BY HIGH WEEDS. ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE WAS SEPARATED,THE PILOT LOST CONTROL,AND ON TOUCHDOWN THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,466 hours in all; 920 in this make and model; 153 in the last 90 days; 2,750 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,500 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 94 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hubbard Broadcasting CO.
The flight
- Departed from: STP St.Paul MN at 12:45 pm
- Destination: STP St.Paul MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from MSP, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.