Bell 206B accident near Ft. Morgan, Colorado, December 3, 1983
On December 3, 1983 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N1078V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ft. Morgan, Colorado. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- December 3, 1983 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ft. Morgan, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1078V · no longer on the register · serial 2923
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED & OPERATED BY A TV STATION & WAS BEING USED FOR TRANSPORTATION TO A NEWS EVENT. WHILE EN ROUTE, CLOUDS & REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO FOG WERE ENCOUNTERED. THE PLT ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD COVERED WITH POWDERED SNOW. DURING THE LANDING, THE POWDERED SNOW WAS BLOWN WHICH RESULTED IN A WHITE-OUT CONDITION. THE PLT TRIED TO MAKE A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN, BUT THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER & THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES HIT THE GROUND. AN EXAM OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT SKID TOUCHED DOWN 1ST & DUG INTO THE GROUND ABOUT 4 TO 6 INCHES WHILE TRAVELING IN A LATERAL DIRECTION. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ABOUT 40 FT FROM THE 1ST GROUND SCAR.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 6,140 in this make and model; 246 in the last 90 days; 12,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,457 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 31, 1983; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Denver CO at 6:30 pm
- Destination: Brush CO
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N1078V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.