Bell 206L-3 accident near Wingate, North Carolina, December 1, 2011
On December 1, 2011 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Bell 206L-3 (helicopter), registered N216TV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wingate, North Carolina (US Helicopters Heliport 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 certified flight instructor did not select an adequate landing site 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 1, 2011 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wingate, North Carolina · US Helicopters Heliport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-3 · all 206L-3s on the register
- Registration
- N216TV · registry record · serial 51166
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certified flight instructor (CFI) was demonstrating a touchdown autorotation from an altitude of 1,500 feet above ground level to a turf runway. He stated that, during the maneuver, the helicopter's sink rate seemed high, so he continued to pull pitch to arrest the descent rate. The helicopter touched down with a slight forward speed on a downhill slope, and the rear portion of the skids became momentarily stuck in the soft turf. The helicopter pitched forward after breaking loose from the turf, and the main rotor blade contacted the vertical stabilizers and tail rotor drive shaft cover, resulting in substantial damage. The CFI stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter.
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
What happened, in order
- Autorotation Miscellaneous/other defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Decision related to condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven › Contributed to outcome
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,456 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 8,447 as pilot in command; 669 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 15, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,021 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 22, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: U S Helicopters INC
The flight
- Departed from: N46 Wingate NC at 4:40 pm
- Destination: N46 Wingate NC
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.32 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from EQY, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on January 30, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1 - Damage to Tail Rotor Drive Shaft Cover (Courtesy FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 2 - Damage to Rotor Blade Tip(courtesy FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 3 - Damage to Right Vertical Stabilizer (Courtesy FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 4 - Damage to Left Vertical Stabilizer (Courtesy FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.