Bell 206B accident near Belen, New Mexico, March 27, 1994
On March 27, 1994 at about 9:20 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N2779B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Belen, New Mexico. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE HARD LANDING DUE TO A DELAYED FLARE AND IMPROPER TOUCHDOWN. A FACTOR WAS THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 1994 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Belen, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2779B · no longer on the register · serial 2819
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ENGINE LOST POWER AT AN ALTITUDE OF 200 - 400 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE PILOT ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION TO A FLAT DESERT AREA, FREE OF OBSTACLES. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN HARD AND CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME AND DYNAMIC COMPONENTS. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE P3 LINE WAS LEAKING.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,366 hours in all; 186 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,316 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,639 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 26, 1993; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero West Management Services
The flight
- Departed from: ALM Alamogordo NM at 7:00 pm
- Destination: AEG Albuquerque NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 25 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from ABQ, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N2779B 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.