Bell 206B accident near Billings, Montana, May 27, 1983
On May 27, 1983 at about 2:00 am local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N16937, was substantially damaged in an accident near Billings, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. 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
- May 27, 1983 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Billings, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N16937 · no longer on the register · serial 2322
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER MADE A HARD AUTOROTATIVE LANDING AFTER TAKEOFF FROM AN OFF ARPT LANDING STIE. THE PLT WAS ON A PERSONAL FLT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHEN A ENGINE FIRE/EXPLOSION FORCED HIM TO LAND. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE PLT AFTER LANDING. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO ERROR IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE 1ST STAGE TURBINE WHEEL. ACCORDING TO AN ALLISON SPOKESMAN THE ERROR IN PROPER WEB THICKNESS WAS MADE DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND ESCAPED DETECTION.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 27,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 27,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,145 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 16, 1983; 3,130 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire in flight and on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BIL Billings MT at 1:00 am
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from BIL, 39 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.