Bell 206BIII accident near Hurst, Texas, May 21, 1998
On May 21, 1998 at about 8:18 pm local time, a Bell 206BIII (helicopter), registered N206TA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hurst, Texas (Bht2 Training Strip airport). It was an instructional flight 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
The pilot's delayed recovery from a simulated autorotative landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1998 · about 8:18 pm local time
- Place
- Hurst, Texas · Bht2 Training Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206BIII · all 206BIIIs on the register
- Registration
- N206TA · registry record · serial 4463
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an autorotation, the helicopter landed hard. The flight instructor was demonstrating an autorotation with a 180 degree turn to Lane 4, at the Bell Helicopter Hurst Heliport. At approximately 100 feet AGL, the flight instructor determined a power recovery was necessary, and at about 50 to 70 feet he increased the throttle to full on; however, the engine did not respond. As the autorotation continued, the instructor 'continued to try and get the throttle and engine to respond.' The helicopter touched down on the end of Lane 4, bounced and veered off of the lane 45 degrees to the right. The helicopter then touched down in the grass bouncing two more times before coming to a stop upright about 70 feet from the end of the lane. The instructor reported that as the aircraft bounced and ran through the grass he 'felt [the] engine begin to spool and [he] closed the throttle to idle.' The aircraft's engine was inspected and returned to service.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 536 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 21, 1998; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2F2 at 8:00 pm
- Runway 18
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:18 pm from DFW, 270 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.