Bell 206L-4 accident near Washington, Louisiana, December 30, 2005
On December 30, 2005 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Bell 206L-4 (helicopter), registered N1811, was substantially damaged in an accident near Washington, Louisiana. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The in-flight collision with a bird and the pilot's physical impairment (vision), directional control was not possible.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 30, 2005 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Washington, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-4 · all 206L-4s on the register
- Registration
- N1811 · no longer on the register · serial 52300
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 13,355-hour air transport pilot was in cruise flight at approximately 500 feet mean sea level (MSL) at approximately 120 miles per hour. The pilot looked down to scan the helicopter's instruments. As he began to look up, a large buzzard collided with the right windscreen and struck the pilot's face. The impact with the buzzard and the wind coming through the broken windscreen caused the pilot to become temporarily blinded. The pilot reported that he felt the helicopter pitch-up, and as he attempted to regain control of the turbine powered helicopter, blood began to hinder his vision. The pilot elected to execute a running landing into a bean field in his flight path. During the descent, the pilot was forced to use both hands and was unable to clear his vision. The pilot lost sight of the ground and the helicopter impacted on the aft portion of the left landing skid, rolled over and came to rest on its left side in a soybean field. The pilot reported having accumulated approximately 1,900-hours in the same make and model, with about 120 hours in the preceding 90 days.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,355 hours in all; 1,900 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 13,205 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 4,450 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250C-30 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southern Helicopters, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 21LA Sunshine LA at 10:10 pm
- Destination: OCH Nacogdoches TX
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; a few clouds at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 9:41 pm from KLFT, 26 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.