Amateur-built DHC-6-300 and Bell 206B mid-air collision near Grand Canyon, Arizona, June 18, 1986
On June 18, 1986 at about 4:33 pm local time, 2 aircraft, amateur-built DHC-6-300 (N76GC) and Bell 206B (N6TC), were involved in a mid-air collision near Grand Canyon, Arizona. 25 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 18, 1986 · about 4:33 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Canyon, Arizona
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 25 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Amateur-built DHC-6-300
- Registration
- N76GC · registry record · serial 248
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6TC · registry record · serial 3114
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the amateur-built DHC-6-300 final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT ABOUT 0933 MST, DEHAVILLAND DHC-6, N76GC, (OWNED & OPERATED BY CANYON AIRLINES) & BELL 206B, N6TC, (OPERATED BY HELITECK) COLLIDED WHILE ON SIGHTSEEING FLTS OVER THE GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK. AFTER COLLIDING IN FLT, BOTH ACFT CRASHED & BURNED IN THE TONTO PLATEAU/CRYSTAL RAPIDS AREA. DRG THE INV, NO REASON WAS FND TO EXPLAIN WHY NEITHER FLT CREW WAS ABLE TO SEE & AVOID THE OTHER ACFT. THE ACDNT OCCURRED IN AN AREA WHERE THE DHC-6 MAY HAVE BEEN IN A TURN. THE BELL 206B WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN INTERCOM OR PUBLIC ADDRESS SYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH PASSENGERS; THUS, THE PLT MAY HAVEPERIODICALLY TURNED HIS HEAD DRG FLT TO NARRATE THE TOUR. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE FAA FAILED TO EXERCISE ITS OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY OVR FLT OPNS IN THE GRAND CANYON AIRSPACE & THAT THE NATIONAL PARK SVC INFLUENCED THE SELECTION OF ROUTESBY THE SCENIC OPERATORS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE MODIFICATION & CONFIGURATION OF THE ROTARY-WING ROUTES RESULTED IN THEIR INTERSECTING WITH THE ROUTES OF GRAND CANYON AIRLINES NEAR CRYSTAL RAPIDS.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Bell 206B final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT ABOUT 0933 MST, DEHAVILLAND DHC-6, N76GC, (OWNED & OPERATED BY CANYON AIRLINES) & BELL 206B, N6TC, (OPERATED BY HELITECK) COLLIDED WHILE ON SIGHTSEEING FLTS OVER THE GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK. AFTER COLLIDING IN FLT, BOTH ACFT CRASHED & BURNED IN THE TONTO PLATEAU/CRYSTAL RAPIDS AREA. DRG THE INV, NO REASON WAS FND TO EXPLAIN WHY NEITHER FLT CREW WAS ABLE TO SEE & AVOID THE OTHER ACFT. THE ACDNT OCCURRED IN AN AREA WHERE THE DHC-6 MAY HAVE BEEN IN A TURN. THE BELL 206B WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN INTERCOM OR PUBLIC ADDRESS SYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH PASSENGERS; THUS, THE PLT MAY HAVEPERIODICALLY TURNED HIS HEAD DRG FLT TO NARRATE THE TOUR. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE FAA FAILED TO EXERCISE ITS OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY OVR FLT OPNS IN THE GRAND CANYON AIRSPACE & THAT THE NATIONAL PARK SVC INFLUENCED THE SELECTION OF ROUTESBY THE SCENIC OPERATORS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE MODIFICATION & CONFIGURATION OF THE ROTARY-WING ROUTES RESULTED IN THEIR INTERSECTING WITH THE ROUTES OF GRAND CANYON AIRLINES NEAR CRYSTAL RAPIDS.
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 for the amateur-built DHC-6-300 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,970 hours in all; 1,556 in this make and model; 290 in the last 90 days; 111 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 30,569 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-27 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: GCN Grand Canyon AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Observation at 4:58 pm from GCN, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 18 |
The factual record for the Bell 206B from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,954 hours in all; 164 in the last 90 days; 68 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 608 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Helitech INC.
The flight
- Departed from: Tusayan AZ at 4:13 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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 N76GC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DCA86AA028.