Bell 206B accident near Pearland, Texas, August 4, 1993
On August 4, 1993 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N16814, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pearland, Texas. 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
PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ROTOR RPM, THE DELAYED FLARE, AND IMPROPER TOUCHDOWN. FACTORS WERE TOTAL FAILURE OF THE POWER TURBINE DUE TO OIL STARVATION TO THE #8 BEARING ASSEMBLY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 1993 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pearland, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N16814 · registry record · serial 2229
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A MAINTENANCE FLIGHT CHECK FOLLOWING A TURBINE REPLACEMENT, A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OCCURRED. AS THE PILOT BEGAN TO CUSHION WITH COLLECTIVE DURING THE AUTOROTATION THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN, ROCKED FORWARD AND THEN BACK. THE MAIN ROTORS SEVERED THE TAILBOOM. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A LACK OF OIL TO THE NUMBER EIGHT BEARING ASSEMBLY.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 74 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 9,750 as pilot in command; 200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,509 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 14, 1993; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TX10 at 6:58 pm
- Destination: TX10
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N16814 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.