Bell 206L1 accident near Sapulpa, Oklahoma, November 9, 2004
On November 9, 2004 at about 11:31 pm local time, a Bell 206L1 (helicopter), registered N1075P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sapulpa, Oklahoma (Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of tail rotor drive as a result of a blanket coming in contact with the tail rotor blades, after the baggage compartment door unlatched during flight. A contributing factor was the "dusk" light condition that prevailed at the time of the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 9, 2004 · about 11:31 pm local time
- Place
- Sapulpa, Oklahoma · Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L1 · all 206L1s on the register
- Registration
- N1075P · no longer on the register · serial 45348
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 2,000-hour helicopter pilot reported that after an uneventful departure, and while at an altitude of approximately 500-800 feet and an airspeed of 90 knots, he heard a loud "bang." Following this "bang," tail rotor effectiveness was lost, and the helicopter was forced into a sideways, nose-down attitude The pilot performed an autorotation and made a hard landing into a field. A "dusk" light condition prevailed, and the helicopter came to rest on its left side. Examination of the wreckage by the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, revealed that some of the fly-away items and some medical supplies, normally stored in the baggage compartment, were found scattered along the route of flight short of the main wreckage. Examination of the baggage compartment door revealed that both door latches were unlatched, and the door was partially open. Further examination of the tail rotor drive shaft revealed a torsional fracture of the tail rotor drive shaft. Frayed fibers and material consistent with clothing or a blanket were found throughout the tail rotor assembly and tail rotor hub. The pilot reported that there were two oxygen containers in the cargo compartment that were stacked on one another and reached approximately the same height as the latch release button on the interior side of the baggage compartment door.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,033 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RVS Sapulpa OK at 11:40 pm
- Destination: CUH Cushing OK
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from RVS, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | 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.