Bell 206L-3 accident near Lakewood, Colorado, April 18, 2000
On April 18, 2000 at about 4:21 pm local time, a Bell 206L-3 (helicopter), registered N937S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakewood, Colorado. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The complete loss of the tail rotor blades due to a fatigue failure of one blade. Factors were sloping and rough uneven terrain for the ensuing forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2000 · about 4:21 pm local time
- Place
- Lakewood, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-3 · all 206L-3s on the register
- Registration
- N937S · no longer on the register · serial 51258
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During initial descent at the completion of a cross-country flight, the pilot heard a loud bang from the rear of the helicopter and manipulation of the tail rotor control became ineffective. The pilot performed an autorotation to a landing in a field, which sloped up about 6 degrees and was rough and uneven. During landing with about 5 knots forward speed, the lower wire cutter dug into the ground and the skids collapsed twisting the cross tubes aft. The main rotor blades were not damaged and the tail booms buckled downward at the forward attach point. The pilot performed a normal shut down and he and his passenger exited the helicopter with no injuries. Examination of the helicopter following the event revealed that both tail rotor blades had separated approximately 9 inches outboard of the hub. Laboratory tests revealed that one tail rotor blade failed from fatigue. The fatigue origin occurred at the protective strip trailing edge inboard of the outboard tip of the blade doubler. Inspection at the origin revealed the fatigue was a result of chemical machining/etching that took place during the manufacturing process.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,698 hours in all; 6,963 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 11,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,832 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 1, 2000; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 20V Kremmling CO at 4:20 pm
- Destination: APA Englewood CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from APA, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N937S 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.