Bell 206B accident near Custer, South Dakota, August 10, 1999
On August 10, 1999 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N67JJ, was destroyed in an accident near Custer, South Dakota. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed, 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from the trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadvertent settling with power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1999 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Custer, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed, 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N67JJ · registry record · serial 4062
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter impacted trees and terrain while maneuvering during a sightseeing flight over a national park. The helicopter was in a descending left turn and a high angle of bank with decreasing main rotor rpm. A low rpm warning horn was heard several seconds prior to impact with the trees. An acoustical analysis of a video tape taken by a passenger shows a decrease in the engine gear box and planetary speeds along with a steady state engine speed several seconds prior to the end of the video tape. The end of the video tape recorded the initial impact with the trees. Examination of the engine and airframe revealed no anomalies.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,616 hours in all; 295 in this make and model; 158 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,721 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 31, 1999; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from RAP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 | 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.