Bell 206-L3 accident near Borger, Texas, July 22, 1995
On July 22, 1995 at about 11:37 pm local time, a Bell 206-L3 (helicopter), registered N111JA, was destroyed in an accident near Borger, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO AN ENCOUNTER WITH A DUST DEVIL/WHIRLWIND AND THE TURBULENCE AND HIGH WIND ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 1995 · about 11:37 pm local time
- Place
- Borger, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206-L3 · all 206-L3s on the register
- Registration
- N111JA · registry record · serial 51274
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE NOTICED THUNDERSTORMS 'DEVELOPING RAPIDLY' TO THE LEFT OF HIS FLIGHT PATH; HOWEVER, 'THEY APPEARED TO BE AT A SAFE DISTANCE.' HE FURTHER REPORTED THAT, HE NOTICED DUST PICKING UP ON THE GROUND, ALONG WITH SOME DEBRIS, ABOUT 1/2 MILE AHEAD, AND TO THE LEFT OF HIS FLIGHT PATH. AFTER INITIATING A TURN TO THE RIGHT, AWAY FROM THE STORM AREA, HE 'COULD NOT CONTROL THE HELICOPTER', AND DOES NOT RECALL THE ENSUING GROUND IMPACT. DOPPLER RADAR IMAGES, FOR THE TIME AND AREA OF THE ACCIDENT, SHOW RAPIDLY DEVELOPING WEATHER ECHOES IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. ALSO, BASE VELOCITY DATA, AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, SHOW A SIGNIFICANT THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW BOUNDARY LOCATED JUST NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. SEVERAL WITNESSES, IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, REPORTED HIGH WINDS AND TURBULENT CONDITIONS. ALL STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS, TAIL AND MAIN ROTOR DRIVE SYSTEMS, ENGINE COMPONENTS, AND FLIGHT CONTROLS, THAT WERE NOT DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND POSTIMPACT FIRE, DID NOT REVEAL EVIDENCE OF FAILURE PRIOR TO IMPACT.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 675 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 3, 1995; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TDW Amarillo TX at 11:21 pm
- Destination: NONE Unk/Nr
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from AMA, 20 miles away
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.
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.