Bell 206B-III accident near Park City, Utah, April 5, 1989
On April 5, 1989 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Bell 206B-III (helicopter), registered N16733, was substantially damaged in an accident near Park City, Utah. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
AN ENCOUNTER WITH STRONG DOWN-SLOPE WINDS AND GUSTS DURING A CRITIACAL PHASE OF FLIGHT WHICH CAUSED POWER REQUIRED TO EXCEED POWER AVAILABLE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DOWNHILL TERRAIN AND THE DOWNDRAFT CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 1989 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Park City, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B-III · all 206B-IIIs on the register
- Registration
- N16733 · no longer on the register · serial 2138
- 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
WHILE TRANSPORTING SKIERS IN A REMOTE AREA NEAR PARK CITY, UT, A BELL 206B-III HELICOPTER CRASHED ON TAKEOFF AFTER ENCOUNTERING STRONG DOWN-SLOPE WINDS WITH GUSTS DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLIGHT WHICH CAUSED PWR REQUIRED TO EXCEED PWR AVAILABLE.
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 sea; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,400 hours in all; 2,790 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 7,320 as pilot in command; 181 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,556 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 27, 1989; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250C-20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Park City UT at 4:00 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 20 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:30 pm, 1 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.
Other NTSB records under N16733 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.