Bell 206 accident near Dublin, Georgia, April 15, 2019
On April 15, 2019 at about 7:51 am local time, a 1980 Bell 206 (helicopter), registered N395AE, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Dublin, Georgia (Fairview Park Hospital airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power on takeoff due to separation of the diffuser assembly as a result of incomplete braze joint surfaces on the vane airfoils.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2019 · about 7:51 am local time
- Place
- Dublin, Georgia · Fairview Park Hospital · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206 L1, built 1980 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N395AE · registry record · serial 45551
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that he heard a noise from the engine deck followed by a "clicking" noise as he was starting to accelerate the helicopter forward on takeoff. The helicopter immediately began to descend then impacted the ground and bounced before coming to rest upright. The main rotor blades flexed and severed the vertical stabilizer. Examination of the engine's compressor section revealed the diffuser had separated into two sections, exposing the vanes. The diffuser is comprised of individual vanes that are brazed between two annular plates and a third support ring to form one solid diffuser assembly. Metallurgical examination of the separated plate and ring section revealed that the ring section separated through the braze joint at the forward interfaces of the vanes due to a large amount of incomplete braze joint surfaces on the vane airfoils. The vane assembly was marked with a Federal Aviation Administration parts manufacturing approval number. A search of the manufacturing history of the diffuser revealed that the part was sold to a turbine engine overhaul company about 13 years before the accident. The diffuser, which was zero-timed, was installed in the compressor and sent to the operator. A review of the engine logbook revealed that the diffuser had not been removed/repaired since it was installed on that date and that it had accrued a total of 5,763.1 hours at the time it failed. According to the company that sold the diffuser to the overhauler, any manufacturing history on the diffuser was no longer available due to the company’s 10-year retention policy for manufacturing records.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during takeoff defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Compressor section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,160 hours in all; 206 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 8,461 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 3, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,193.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 5, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 4,450 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison N250-C30P (turboshaft); 14,192 hours total
- Operator: Air Evac Ems Inc
The flight
- Departed from: 48GA Dublin GA at 7:46 am
- Destination: Macon GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 am from DBN, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on February 28, 2022. 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 | Written Statements - Pilot, Nurse, Paramedic | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | NTSB - Summary of Findings | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Arrow Aviation Engine Examination Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Evidence Control Form- Diffuser | 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.