Bell 206B accident near Totes Gebirge, At, February 8, 2008
On February 8, 2008 at about 8:30 am local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered OEXRH, was destroyed in an accident near Totes Gebirge. It was an instructional flight under non-U.S. private rules. 2 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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 8, 2008 · about 8:30 am local time
- Place
- Totes Gebirge, Austria · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- OEXRH · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On February 8, 2008, at 0830 UTC, a Bell 206B, Austrian registration OE-XRH, serial number 2795, was destroyed when the helicopter struck a cableway cable while maneuvering in mountainous terrain, and subsequently impacted terrain in the vicinity of Totes Gebirge, an 8,251 foot mountain located approximately 45 miles east of Salzburg, Austria. A post crash fire ensued consuming the cabin. The two persons on board were killed in the crash. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. This investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the Austrian government. Any further information may be obtained from: Federal Office of Transport Accident Investigation Branch/Department of Aviation P.O. Box 3000 Lohnergasse 9 A-1210 Vienna Austria This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by, or obtained from, the Federal Office of Transport, Accident Investigation Branch of Austria.
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
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: LOLW Wels
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 135° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.69 inHg
- Observation at 7:20 am
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.