Bell 206L-4 accident near Denver, Colorado, October 6, 2005
On October 6, 2005 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Bell 206L-4 (helicopter), registered N206DB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Denver, Colorado. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper preflight planning and preparation resulting in him taking the helicopter into the air with insufficient fuel to accomplish the flight, and the subsequent fuel exhaustion leading to the hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 2005 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-4 · all 206L-4s on the register
- Registration
- N206DB · registry record · serial 52127
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was en route to its home base when the pilot noted he would not have enough fuel to make it his destination. He also determined he had gone too far to return to his origination airport. The pilot elected to perform a precautionary landing on a schoolyard baseball field. Approximately 6 feet above the ground, the helicopter's engine lost power. The pilot said he immediately attempted to make a landing. The helicopter impacted the ground in a level attitude, bounced once, and came to a stop. The pilot told local police that he'd ran out of fuel. An examination of the helicopter showed the helicopter had sustained substantial damage to the tail boom. An examination of the helicopter's systems revealed no anomalies.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Broomfield CO at 3:45 pm
- Destination: APA Englewood CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.