Bell 206B accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 3, 1987
On August 3, 1987 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N5001Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico (Coronado airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- August 3, 1987 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · Coronado
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N5001Q · no longer on the register · serial 2413
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLT A PARTIAL POWER FAILURE OCCURRED REQUIRING A FULL EMERG AUTOROTATIVE LANDING TO BE CONDUCTED TO AN UNEVEN DIRT AREA. FOLLOWING TOUCHDOWN THE ACFT SLID FORWARD AND THE TAIL ROSE CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR TO CONTACT THE TAIL BOOM SEVERING THE LAST THREE FEET. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE ACFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE POWER LOSS WAS DUE TO A SEPARATION OF THE ENG GOVERNOR PYV VALVE CAUSING THE ENG TO DECELERATE TO A BELOW IDLE CONDITION. NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE SEPARATION.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,025 hours in all; 1,025 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 8,200 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,296 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 1, 1986; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4AC Albuquerque NM at 1:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:48 pm from ABQ, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.