Bell Helicopter Textron INC 609 accident near Tronzano Vercellese, It, October 30, 2015
On October 30, 2015 at about 8:00 am local time, a 2003 Bell Helicopter Textron INC 609, registered N609AG, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Tronzano Vercellese. It was a flight test under non-U.S. private rules. 2 people were killed.
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 2015 · about 8:00 am local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Tronzano Vercellese, Italy · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Bell Helicopter Textron INC 609 NO SERIES, built 2003
- Registration
- N609AG · registry record · serial 60002
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight test · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
import
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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Fire on the ground
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N609AG on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DCA16RA014.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.