Bell 206B accident near Lane City, Texas, October 30, 1984
On October 30, 1984 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N1074G, was destroyed in an accident near Lane City, Texas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. 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
- October 30, 1984 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lane City, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1074G · registry record · serial 2865
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE AT 600 FT AGL A BANG WAS HEARD & ACFT EXPERIENCED A VIBRATION. WHEN TURNING TOWARD A FLD TO LAND A SECOND BANG WAS HEARD & VIBRATION CEASED. HOWEVER, AN UNCOMMANDED RT YAW WAS EXPERIENCED & THE NOSE BEGAN TO TUCK UNDER. ACFT CONTACTED TERRAIN DESPITE REMEDIAL ACTION ATTEMPT BY PLT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED TAIL ROTOR ASS'Y SEPARATED FROM ACFT INFLT. LAB EXAM REVEALED GEAR BOX ATTACHMENT STUDS FAILED DUE TO LOW CYCLE FATIGUE. TAIL ROTOR BLADE, S/N TCT-7478, HAD APRX 60% OF PHENOLIC TIP BLOCK MISSING & 3 ALUMINUM RIVETS MISSING FROM TITANIUM SKIN. NO BONDING MATERIAL WAS VISIBLE ON INTERIOR BLADE SKIN. ACFT WAS OPERATED IN A SALT WATER ENVIR. ON 4/17/82, AD 82-17-04 WAS ISSUED REQ INSPECTION OF TAIL ROTOR ASS'Y SPECIFICALLY FOR TIP BLOCK SECURITY, VOID & RETENTION EVERY 7 DAYS. AD REVISED (AD 82-17-04,R1) REQ COMPLIANCE NOT TO EXCEED 25 HR INTERVALS. ON 9/3/84 REVISION 2 REQ INSPECTION REVERTING BACK TO 7 DAY INTERVAL. OPERATOR HAD NOT RECEIVED REVISION 2 & LAST INSPECTION PERFORMED ON 10/4/84 APRX 21 HRS PRIOR TO ACCIDENT.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,138 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 27, 1984; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5RS Wharton TX at 6:52 am
- Destination: B-52 Matagorda 520 GM
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from PSX, 31 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.