Bell 206L-3 accident near Denver, Colorado, September 13, 1984
On September 13, 1984 at about 12:58 pm local time, a Bell 206L-3 (helicopter), registered N99TV, was destroyed in an accident near Denver, Colorado. It was a business 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 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
- September 13, 1984 · about 12:58 pm local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-3 · all 206L-3s on the register
- Registration
- N99TV · registry record · serial 51079
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PLT HAD SLOWED THE HELICOPTER TO 30 KIAS USING 50 TO 60% PWR AT AN ALT OF 700 FT AGL. PLT THE HEARD 'TWO BEEPS' FROM THE ENG OUT WARNING HORN, SAW ENG OUT ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATE & THE 'TURBINE NEDDLE DROPPING.' PLT 'BOTTOMED'THE COLLECTIVE, LOWERING THE NOSE, BUT HELICOPTER DESCENDED WHILE YAWING LEFT AND RIGHT UNTIL CONTACTING A CREEK BED. INSPECTION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THE PC LINE WAS BROKEN HUST PAST THE 90 DEG BEND WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THE GAS PRODUCER FUEL CONTROL. THE OTHER END OF THE BREAK WAS CONCEALED BY A B-NUT. METALLURGICAL TESTING REVEALED THE LINE FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE. AREAS OF FRETTING AND DIMPLING WERE FOUND ON THE LINE. THE ENGINE IN N99TV WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACFT ON 11/14/83 AND AGAIN ON 9/6/84. EACH REMOVAL NECESSITATED UNFASTENING AND FASTENING OF THE PC LINE.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,818 hours in all; 15 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 7,518 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,738 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 16, 1984; 685 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DEN Denver CO at 11:40 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,500 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:29 pm from DEN, 7 miles away
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 N99TV 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.