Bell 206B accident near Jasper, Texas, April 24, 1998
On April 24, 1998 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N108RL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jasper, Texas (Jasper County-Bell Field). 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 pilot's encounter with a dynamic rollover after the toe of the left skid became caught on a trailer, while attempting to land the trailer. A related factor was: the pilot's perception of pressure, which was induced by a need to perform a scheduled inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 1998 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Jasper, Texas · Jasper County-Bell Field · 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
- N108RL · registry record · serial 123
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, a 100-hour inspection of the helicopter was due, and ground handling wheels were not available to ground handle the helicopter into the hangar for the scheduled maintenance. The mechanic asked the pilot to reposition the helicopter on a utility trailer, equipped with 18 inch side rails, so the helicopter could be taken to the hangar. The pilot's reasoning was influenced by the fact that the helicopter was scheduled for an aerial application flight the next morning. While landing on the trailer, the toe of the left skid became caught under the side rail of the trailer, and the helicopter encountered a dynamic rollover. The main rotor blades contacted the ground, and the helicopter came to rest on its left side.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,425 hours in all; 1,350 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 1,147 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,300 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 1, 1998; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 FTW98LA195.