Bell 206L accident near Maryland Hts, Missouri, February 27, 1995
On February 27, 1995 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Bell 206L (helicopter), registered N970CC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Maryland Hts, Missouri. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FATIGUE FAILURE OF TWO ATTACHMENT BOLTS THAT CONNECTED THE DRIVESHAFT TO THE GEARED PORTION OF A DRIVESHAFT COUPLING. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE, UNEVEN TERRAIN IN THE TOUCHDOWN AREA FOR THE FORCED LANDING, AND THE UNFAVORABLE HEIGHT/VELOCITY SITUATION OF THE HELICOPTER WHEN THE DRIVESHAFT DISCONNECT OCCURRED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 27, 1995 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Maryland Hts, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L · all 206Ls on the register
- Registration
- N970CC · registry record · serial 40534
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF A TURBINE POWERED HELICOPTER SAID HE BEGAN A HOVER ABOUT THREE FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, TURNED THE HELICOPTER INTO THE WIND, AND INITIATED A TAKEOFF. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE HELICOPTER HAD STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD AND HAD ATTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 25 FEET, WHEN THEY HEARD A CHANGE IN THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE. THE PILOT STATED 'AS POWER WAS BROUGHT IN, A LOUD METALLIC TYPE POP WAS HEARD.' HE SAID THE HELICOPTER YAWED LEFT AFTER THE 'POP' WAS HEARD, AND THAT IT DID NOT RESPOND TO CONTROL INPUTS. THE HELICOPTER FLEW OVER AN EMBANKMENT, AND ITS ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE SIDE OF THE EMBANKMENT. AFTER THE BLADE STRIKE, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE, THEN ON ITS RIGHT SIDE AND CAME TO REST. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER AND ITS COMPONENTS REVEALED THE ATTACHMENT BOLTS THAT CONNECTED THE DRIVESHAFT TO THE GEARED PORTION OF THE DRIVESHAFT COUPLING HAD FAILED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT TWO OF THE BOLTS HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE, THE OTHER TWO BOLTS HAD EVIDENCE OF OVERLOAD FAILURE. ALSO, AFTER DISASSEMBLY, A TENSION (CENTERING) SPRING WAS DISCOVERED TO BE MISSING FROM THE TRANSMISSION END OF THE DRIVESHAFT (WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE BOLT HEADS TO CONTACT THE GREASE RETAINING PLATE). THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER AND ENGINE WAS ON 11/3/93.
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
- AIRFRAME/COMPONENT/SYSTEM FAILURE/MALFUNCTION during takeoff - initial climb
- FORCED LANDING during emergency descent/landing
- IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH TERRAIN/WATER during emergency landing
Pilot
- Ratings: none, none, none, helicopter
- Flight time: 677 hours in all; 611 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 2
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,652 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, November 3, 1993; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20-B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: RLA at 2:15 pm
- Destination: JEF Jefferson MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°C, dew point 48°C
- Altimeter: 29 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from STL, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI95LA093.