Bell 206B accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, October 25, 2014
On October 25, 2014 at about 4:40 pm local time, a 1978 Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N418SV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near West Palm Beach, Florida (Wellington Aero Club airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A hard landing for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 2014 · about 4:40 pm local time · cases in 2014
- Place
- West Palm Beach, Florida · Wellington Aero Club · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B, built 1978 · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N418SV · registry record · serial 2399
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who was also the owner of the helicopter, reported that, after uneventfully completing a local flight, she observed a crack in the left skid. Further examination by a mechanic revealed additional substantial damage consistent with a hard landing. The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger stated that no hard landings occurred during the local flight. The pilot also reported that, 2 days before the accident, a flight instructor had conducted two instructional flights in the accident helicopter at a different airport. According to the flight instructor and the two pilots receiving instruction on those flights, no hard landings occurred during the two flights, and they observed no damage during the two preflight and postflight inspections. Additionally, following those flights, the pilot repositioned the helicopter back to its home airport and did not notice any damage during the preflight or postflight inspection. The pilot added that the helicopter was not flown between the repositioning flight and the local flight after which the damage was discovered. The investigation could not determine when the damage occurred or who was flying the helicopter when it did.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Other/unknown
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 900 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 700 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 6, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,085 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 7, 2014; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250 C20B (turboshaft); 5,127 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FD38 West Palm Beach FL at 3:30 pm
- Destination: FD38 West Palm Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,800 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from PBI, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on August 26, 2015. 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, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Passenger Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Other Pilots' Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 1 – Left Skid (Photo Courtesy of Ersi) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 2 – Main Driveshaft (Photo Courtesy of Ersi) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 3 – Main Rotor Yoke (Photo Courtesy of Ersi) | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N418SV on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Bell 206 JetRanger and LongRanger 1,453 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Bell 3,080 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Allison 250 C20B 113 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Wellington Aero Club Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 985 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,708 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA15LA060.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.