Bell 430 accident near Cabinda, Ao, September 16, 2016
On September 16, 2016 at about 2:32 pm local time, a Bell 430 (helicopter), registered D2EYI, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Cabinda. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
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 October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2016 · about 2:32 pm local time
- Place
- Cabinda, Angola
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Bell 430 · all 430s on the register
- Registration
- D2EYI · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
The Angola Ministry of Transport (MoT) has notified the NTSB of an accident involving a BELL 430 helicopter that occurred on September 16, 2016. The NTSB has appointed a U.S. Accredited Representative to assist the MoT's investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the State of Manufacturer and Design of the engine. All investigative information will be released by the MoT.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Not recorded
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.