Bell 206B accident near Pelion, South Carolina, June 18, 2022
On June 18, 2022 at about 12:14 pm local time, a 1977 Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N515TV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Pelion, South Carolina (Lexington County airport). It was a personal 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 pilot’s improper landing flare during a practice autorotation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 18, 2022 · about 12:14 pm local time
- Place
- Pelion, South Carolina · Lexington County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B, built 1977 · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N515TV · no longer on the register · serial 2130
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that while practicing an autorotation, the helicopter did not slide forward on the landing as he had expected, and instead came to a quick stop. The pilot rated passenger said the helicopter did not slide forward like a typical run-on landing, but “bucked” forward as it came to a quick stop just after it touched down. The pilot subsequently felt a vibration in the anti-torque pedals and shut the helicopter down. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that the tail rotor drive shaft was bent and the cowling around the area of the bend had ruptured. Given that the helicopter was operating normally prior to the landing, it is likely that the forces imparted by (or were the result of) the pilot’s control inputs during the landing resulted in the damage to the tail rotor drive shaft.
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 Attempted remediation/recovery
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,085 hours in all; 262 in this make and model; 37.6 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: April 22, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,025 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 142,999 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 22, 2021
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250 (turboshaft); 5,361 hours total
- Operator: Dirt Pour LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,334 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 am from KCAE, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCAE 181156Z 22003KT 6SM BR SCT005 24/23 A3003
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on February 15, 2023. 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 | NTSB Summary of Email - Pilot Written Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Summary of Email - Pilot Rated Passenger | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 2 pages | 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.