Bell 206B II accident near Dallas, Texas, September 14, 1984
On September 14, 1984 at about 4:38 pm local time, a Bell 206B II (helicopter), registered N49615, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dallas, Texas (Love airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. 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 14, 1984 · about 4:38 pm local time
- Place
- Dallas, Texas · Love · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B II · all 206B IIs on the register
- Registration
- N49615 · no longer on the register · serial 1777
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACFT MADE FORCED AUTOROTATIVE LANDING OFF ARPT IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA WHICH WAS CONGESTED. ACFT DEVELOPED A HIGH SINK RATE IN THE AUTOROTATION AND LANDED HARD. THE FORCED LANDING WAS DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. 45 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE ADDED TO THE ACFT AT 1226 CST ON 9/13. ACFT WAS THEN FLOWN A TTL OF 3.3 HRS DURING 2 FLTS, ONE ON 9/13 AND THE ACCIDENT FLT. BOTH FLTS WERE FLOWN BY THE SAME PLT. OPERATOR RECORDS SHOW THAT A TELEPHONIC ORDER FOR 25 GALLONS OF FUEL FOR N49615 WAS CALLED IN AT 0943 ON 9/14. PLT STATED HE PLACED THIS ORDER THINKING IT WOULD FILL THE TANKS (75 GALLON CAPACITY). PLT DEPARTED DAL WITHOUT OBTAINING THE FUEL AND ARRIVED AT ADS AT 0950 WHERE HE RELATED THAT THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN FUELED. FUEL WAS ORDERED AT ADS BUT THE PLT CANCELED THIS ORDER WHEN PAX ARRIVED SO AS TO EXPEDITE DEPARTURE. PAX HEARD PLT REMARK ABOUT LOW FUEL AND SAW ONE FUEL GAGE NEAR 'E' BEFORE THE LOSS OF POWER.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,075 hours in all; 553 in this make and model; 190 in the last 90 days; 2,950 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,012 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 10, 1984; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250 C-2O (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Texas Pro Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: ADS Dallas TX at 3:15 pm
- Destination: DAL Dallas TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from DAL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 1 |
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.