Bell 212 accident near Mt Pleasant, Utah, January 29, 2000
On January 29, 2000 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Bell 212 (helicopter), registered N212HQ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mt Pleasant, Utah. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the main rotor mast due to fatigue that resulted from inadequate quality assurance during the manufacturing process.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 2000 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mt Pleasant, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 212 · all 212s on the register
- Registration
- N212HQ · no longer on the register · serial 30646
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in level flight approximately 120 feet above ground level, carrying an external load of logs, the main rotor mast separated from the helicopter. The fuselage descended into a tree covered slope and broke into three sections. The pilot received serious injuries. Laboratory examination of the main rotor mast provided evidence the mast failed in fatigue at the lower ring groove of the damper splines where burrs were left during machining of the part. Retirement requirements for the mast were 15,000 flight hours or 300,000 RIN (retirement index number). The mast had 5,644.4 hours with the last overhaul being done at 3,660.8 hours. The FAA calculated the RIN number to be 291,065.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,370 hours in all; 90 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,118 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 22, 2000; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,200 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT-6-3 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 43U at 9:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
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.
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.