Bell 206B accident near Huffman, Texas, May 18, 2005
On May 18, 2005 at about 1:26 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N276M, was destroyed in an accident near Huffman, Texas. It was an external-load flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 3 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight and his failure to disconnect the external load cable prior to takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2005 · about 1:26 pm local time
- Place
- Huffman, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N276M · registry record · serial 1876
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During takeoff, at an altitude of approximately 10-20 feet above ground level, the helicopter pitched nose down and impacted terrain. The 1,181-hour pilot reported to first responders that he had "forgot to unhook the drag line" prior to takeoff. Examination of the accident site revealed that the sling load basket snagged a flat-bed truck and moved it approximately five inches.
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: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,181 hours in all; 136 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 1,053 as pilot in command; 723 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aerial Coalition Technologies
The flight
- Departed from: Huffman TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.
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.