Bell 206A incident near Lake Ozark, Missouri, July 19, 1990
On July 19, 1990 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Bell 206A (helicopter), registered N206AT, suffered minor damage in an incident near Lake Ozark, Missouri. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
COMPRESSION ASSEMBLY BLADE AND EMERGENCY FLOATATION GEAR FAILURE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 1990 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Ozark, Missouri · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206A · all 206As on the register
- Registration
- N206AT · registry record · serial 504
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER LIFT-OFF, OVER WATER, THE HELICOPTER'S ENGINE FAILED. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED ON THE WATER, BUT THE EMERGENCY INFLATABLE FLOATS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE ACFT SANK, BUT ALL FOUR OCCUPANTS ESCAPED WITHOUT INJURY. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED ONLY MINOR DAMAGE. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE COMPRESSOR BLADES, AFTER THE FIRST STAGE, HAD FAILED.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 3,780 hours in all; 2,105 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 3,410 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.