Bell 206L-3+ accident near Arlington, Texas, December 10, 1991
On December 10, 1991 at about 2:55 pm local time, a Bell 206L-3+ (helicopter), registered N2770X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arlington, Texas (Arlington Municipal airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE HELICOPTER'S AUTOROTATIONAL LANDING PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY WAS EXCEEDED. FACTORS WERE THE PROPER DESCENT RATE WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE PIC AND SUFFICIENT INFORMATION FROM THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT PROVIDED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 10, 1991 · about 2:55 pm local time
- Place
- Arlington, Texas · Arlington Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-3+ · all 206L-3+s on the register
- Registration
- N2770X · no longer on the register · serial 51022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE EXPERIMENTAL CERTIFICATED HELICOPTER WAS BEING TEST FLOWN AS PART OF THE HEIGHT VELOCITY DIAGRAM DEVELOPMENT FOR THE 206L4 CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. THE TEST PILOT WAS CONDUCTING ABORTED TAKEOFFS WHEN AT 30 FEET AND 50 KNOTS HE INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION. THE COLLECTIVE WAS LOWERED SLIGHTLY AND A HIGH DESCENT RATE OCCURRED. DURING THE DESCENT THE MAIN ROTOR RPM DECREASED AND THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD RESULTING IN TAILBOOM BUCKLING AND SEPARATION OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. THE PILOT'S APPLICATION OF COLLECTIVE BEFORE TOUCHDOWN DID NOT ARREST THE DESCENT RATE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,200 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 8,000 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,577 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 14, 1991; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250C-30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from DFW, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N2770X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.