Eurocopter EC120B accident near Grand Prairie, Texas, December 21, 2006
On December 21, 2006 at about 9:10 pm local time, a Eurocopter EC120B (helicopter), registered N171AE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Prairie, Texas (Grand Prairie Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's inadequate remedial action which resulted in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the practice autorotation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 2006 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Prairie, Texas · Grand Prairie Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter EC120B · all EC120Bs on the register
- Registration
- N171AE · no longer on the register · serial 1377
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While performing a practice 180-degree autorotation, the 5,943-hour flight instructor observed that the student would not make the landing area. The flight instructor took over the helicopter controls and elected to land in the grass near the runway. The helicopter touched-down hard with low rotor energy and at a higher than normal touchdown speed. The helicopter proceeded to skid on the soft grass before digging in and rolling forward on its nose. The rotor blades subsequently impacted the ground before the helicopter rolled and came to rest on its right side. The pilot did not report any abnormalities with the helicopter's flight controls. The winds at the time of the mishap were reported from 260-degrees at 6 knots. The practice area used for the practice autorotations was aligned on a heading of 170-degrees.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,943 hours in all; 370 in this make and model; 143 in the last 90 days; 68 in the last 30 days; 5,083 as pilot in command; 4,052 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Last flight review: August 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 777 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 3,780 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca Arrius 2F (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GPM Grand Prairie TX at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from GPM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.