Bell 206 accident near Monroe, Georgia, September 10, 2025
On September 10, 2025 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1981 Bell 206 (helicopter), registered N992MR, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Monroe, Georgia (Sleepy Hollow airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 2025 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Monroe, Georgia · Sleepy Hollow · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206 B, built 1981 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N992MR · registry record · serial 3265
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 10, 2025, about 1100 eastern daylight time, a Bell 206, N992MR, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Monroe, Geogia. The flight instructor and student pilot were seriously injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to the flight instructor, he and the student were practicing hovering at about 10-15ft agl in an open field when the helicopter suddenly, and violently, turned to the right. The instructor, who was sitting in the left seat, immediately rolled the throttle control to the idle position before the helicopter contacted the ground. The helicopter immediately caught fire and was consumed. The flight instructor stated that the student pilot had purchased the helicopter about a month ago and that he had flown with the student 3 or 4 times in that helicopter prior to the accident. On the day of the accident, the flight instructor met the student pilot at the student pilot’s residence where the helicopter was stored. The training for the day included a flight from the student pilot’s residence to Covington Municipal Airport (CVC) in Covington, Georgia, where they did some training before refueling. The instructor stated that they filled the helicopter with fuel before departing CVC and headed toward the field where the accident occurred to practice hovering. While practicing hovering, the instructor stated that he was on the controls with the student and did not feel any erratic maneuvers or jerking that would have caused the helicopter to turn violently to the right. The wreckage was retained for further examination.
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 control in flight during maneuvering (hover) defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 am from D73, 3 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KD73 101455Z AUTO 10SM CLR 22/12 A3021 RMK AO2 T02200123
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.