Bell 206B accident near Cloquet, Minnesota, April 10, 1999
On April 10, 1999 at about 1:15 am local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N119SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cloquet, Minnesota. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate fuel management which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. Related factors were the pole and dusk light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 1999 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Cloquet, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N119SP · registry record · serial 3151
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was 10 miles from Cloquet Carlton County Airport when he noticed a low fuel pressure warning. The pilot stated that he knew of a field that he could land in, five miles from his current position, and decided to maneuver the helicopter to that location. The pilot reported that while over the predetermined field, at approximately 300 feet above ground level, the engine lost total power and he began an autorotation towards the field. The pilot stated that he performed a run-on landing, in order to avoid two posts, and came to rest in an upright attitude. The pilot reported that he did not see the reflecting posts until the aircraft was near the ground because of the low light condition. The pilot reported that he had 35-gallons of fuel when he departed Crystal Airport at 1905. The pilot stated that the flight time, from Crystal Airport to Cloquet Carlton County Airport, was typically 1.2 hours to 1.5 hours. According to the Chief Pilot of the Minneapolis State Police, the fuel burn for the accident helicopter was 25 gallons/hour. In a telephone conversation with the investigator-in-charge, the pilot indicated that he ran out of fuel during the accident flight.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,164 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 6,113 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,703 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 9, 1999; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIC Minneapolis MN
- Destination: COQ MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 080° at 13 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 am from COQ, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N119SP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.