Bell 206B accident near Oak Grove, Louisiana, August 19, 1989
On August 19, 1989 at about 12:35 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N5006N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oak Grove, Louisiana. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT'S IMPROPER EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND FLARE THAT LED TO A HARD LANDING AND ROLL OVER. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S DECISION TO INITIATE AN AUTOROTATION FOLLOWING AN UNDETERMINED EVENT AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 1989 · about 12:35 pm local time
- Place
- Oak Grove, Louisiana
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N5006N · no longer on the register · serial 2492
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,582 hours in all; 1,316 in this make and model; 163 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 5,479 as pilot in command; 62 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Cameron LA at 12:21 pm
- Destination: NONE Vermillion 69 GM
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.