Bell 206B accident near Duchesne, Utah, July 18, 1989
On July 18, 1989 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N1086C, was destroyed in an accident near Duchesne, Utah. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM THE POWER LINE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: LACK OF MISSION TRAINING PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY/OPERATOR, THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS TYPE OF OPERATION, HIS LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA, AND THE COMPANY/OPERATOR'S INADEQUATE SUBSTANTIATION PROCESS TO ASSURE THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF NEWLY HIRED PILOTS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1989 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Duchesne, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1086C · registry record · serial 2996
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING OPERATED ON A SPECIALIZED POWER LINE PATROL TO CONDUCT 'KORONA MEASURING' FOR A 'LEAKAGE' CHECK OF THE TRANSMISSION LINE. THIS CHECK REQUIRED THAT THE HELICOPTER BE FLOWN AT A CONSTANT ALTITUDE & SPEED, & AT A DISTANCE OF 100' OR LESS FROM THE POWER LINE. WHILE PATROLLING EASTBOUND, THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE NORTH STATIC LINE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE MAIN ROTOR, SWASH PLATE, & TRANSMISSION/ROTOR MAST SEPARATED & THE HELICOPTER CRASHED. WHEN THE HELICOPTER DID NOT RETURN FROM THE PATROL, A SEARCH WAS ORGANIZED. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND THE NEXT DAY AT 1045 MDT. THE PLT & 1 PAX WERE DECEASED, BUT THE OTHER PAX APPEARED TO BE ALIVE; HOWEVER, HE DIED BEFORE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE ARRIVED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE HELICOPTER WAS FOUND. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THIS WAS THE PILOT'S 1ST POWER LINE PATROL. ON HIS APPLICATION FOR RECENT EMPLOYMENT WITH THE COMPANY, HE INDICATED HE HAD OVER 1900 HRS OF FLT TIME; HOWEVER, ONLY 585 HRS OF FLT TIME COULD BE VERIFIED. HE DID NOT RCV MISSION TRAINING FOR THIS FLT.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 585 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,103 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 29, 1989; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVU Provo UT at 4:15 pm
- Destination: PVU Provo UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN89FA175.