Bell 206B III accident near Austin, Texas, April 23, 1993
On April 23, 1993 at about 7:47 pm local time, a Bell 206B III (helicopter), registered N2205X, was destroyed in an accident near Austin, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AIRCRAFT CONTROL NOT MAINTAINED BY PILOT IN COMMAND. FACTORS WERE UNFAVORABLE WINDS AND PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 1993 · about 7:47 pm local time
- Place
- Austin, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B III · all 206B IIIs on the register
- Registration
- N2205X · registry record · serial 3529
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN APPROACH TO A FIELD THE HELICOPTER WAS OBSERVED ROTATING AND CLIMBING TO APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND SUBSEQUENTLY CONTINUED ROTATION IN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT UNTIL IMPACTING THE TERRAIN. WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE WINDS FROM THE SOUTH VARIABLE TO THE SOUTHEAST WITH GUSTS ESTIMATED IN EXCESS OF 30 KNOTS. WITNESSES FURTHER REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN THE TYPE OF HELICOPTER IN APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS. THE SECOND PILOT WAS RATED ONLY IN FIXED WING AIRCRAFT.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,600 hours in all; 1,642 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,425 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 16, 1993; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 4R2 Marble Falls TX at 7:00 pm
- Destination: TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 13 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from AUS, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW93FA137.