Bell 206B accident near Hempstead, Texas, April 8, 1983
On April 8, 1983 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N3898P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hempstead, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. 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
- April 8, 1983 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hempstead, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3898P · no longer on the register · serial 3212
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACORDING TO THE PILOT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN LEVEL FLIGHT AT 800 FEET AGL WHEN THE PILOT EXPERIENCED SEVERE YAWS IN RAPID RAPID SUCCESSION. HE NOTICED HE TORQUE FLUCTUATING BETWEEN 30 AND 100 POUNDS, WENT INTO AUTOROTATION AND SELECTED A LANDING SPOT HEADING INTO THE WIND. AS THE PILOT WAS BEGINNING HIS FLARE WHEN A PASSENGER SAW POWERLINES RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM. THE PILOT MADE EVASIVE CORRECTIONS BUT HIT THE WIRES AND IMPACTED THE GROUND LEFT SIDE FIRST. A TEARDOWN OF THEENGINE REVEALED AN ACCUMULATION OF FOREIGN MATTERIAL IN THE COMPRESSOR AND DIFFUSER SECTIONS OF THE ENGINE.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,872 hours in all; 1,761 in this make and model; 101 in the last 90 days; 5,282 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,087 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 25, 1983; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C-20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DWH
- Destination: Austin TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from HOB, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket 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.