Bell 206-L4 accident near Mullinville, Kansas, August 22, 2007
On August 22, 2007 at about 5:26 pm local time, a Bell 206-L4 (helicopter), registered N1813, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mullinville, Kansas. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain main rotor rpm resulting in an uncontrolled descent, collision with transmission wires, and a hard landing. A contributing factor was the tranmission wires.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2007 · about 5:26 pm local time
- Place
- Mullinville, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206-L4 · all 206-L4s on the register
- Registration
- N1813 · no longer on the register · serial 52335
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that as he was circling the landing zone, the helicopter felt like it was being "pushed to the northeast and began to shutter." Just as a semi truck passed beneath the helicopter, the pilot stated that the helicopter "went limp" and subsequently the low rotor rpm warning horn activated. The pilot leveled the helicopter from a slight bank and lowered the collective, which silenced the low rotor warning, but the pilot stated that the helicopter "still felt real sluggish." After maneuvering the helicopter away from ground personnel, the helicopter lost power again and the low rotor rpm warning activated a second time. The pilot stated that he set up the helicopter in an autorotative profile and remembers flaring just prior to the initial impact. The pilot stated that he did not lose tail rotor effectiveness. Medical personnel onboard the helicopter stated that during the descent, they noticed power lines and thought that "at out current angle of descent we were going to catch the wires." Several witnesses on the ground stated that as the helicopter passed over the semi truck, it lost control and contacted power lines before impacting the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed wire damage to the main rotor and tail boom, as well as substantial damage to the fuselage. Further examination of the helicopter disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomaly. Weather in the area was reported by local authorities as strong gusty winds.
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; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,950 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,050 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 466 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2007; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air MD LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Dodge City KS at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Mullinville KS
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 24 knots, gusting 36
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 pm from DDC, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | 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.