Bell 206L-3 accident near Lake City, Colorado, February 18, 1984
On February 18, 1984 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Bell 206L-3 (helicopter), registered N3893U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake City, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries; 6 others were unhurt. 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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 1984 · about 8:30 pm local time · cases in 1984
- Place
- Lake City, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 6 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-3 · all 206L-3s on the register
- Registration
- N3893U · registry record · serial 51020
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER TOOK OFF IN MARGINAL VMC CONDITIONS AT CLOSE TO CONDITIONS REQUIRING MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE FOR TAKEOFF. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO HOVER AT 90 PERCENT RPM WAITING HE SAID 'FOR A BREEZE'. THE HOVER STIRRED UP SNOW CAUSING A WHITEOUT AND LOSS OF VISUAL CUES. WHEN THE ACFT WAS SETTLING THE PLT APPLIED 100 PERCENT TO CHECK THE DESCENT BUT THE ACFT STRUCK THE GROUND. AN ARTICLE IN FEB 1984 ISSUE OF FLYING SAFETY HAD SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS TYPE OPERATION WHICH INCLUDES 'APPLY SUFFICIENT TORQUE FOR A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB.'
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,045 hours in all; 2,194 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 2,716 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,298 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 15, 1983; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 1 knots, gusting 12
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 12°F (-11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 5 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3893U on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Bell 206 JetRanger and LongRanger 1,453 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Bell 3,080 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Allison 250-C30P 25 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,860 since 1982 · 383 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,484 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/DEN84LA093.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.