Bell 206 accident near La Verne, California, April 6, 2017
On April 6, 2017 at about 5:35 pm local time, a 1973 Bell 206 (helicopter), registered N206SA, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Verne, California (Brackett Field). 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 early increased application of the collective during a simulated hovering autorotation, which resulted in a loss of rotor rpm and subsequent main rotor blade strike of the tailboom.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 2017 · about 5:35 pm local time
- Place
- La Verne, California · Brackett Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206 B, built 1973 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N206SA · registry record · serial 1013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor in the helicopter reported that he was providing hovering autorotation training to a private pilot. The flight instructor reported that he rolled off the throttle to initiate the maneuver, and the private pilot "raised the collective too soon which resulted in the aircraft climbing." The rotor inertia decayed, and a main rotor blade struck the tailboom after the helicopter struck the ground. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor drive shaft. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Autorotation Abrupt maneuver
- Autorotation Attempted remediation/recovery
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Rotorcraft flight control › Main rotor control › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action sequence › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command; 9,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 3, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 140 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 75 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 25, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,482.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 21, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C20 (turboshaft); 4,950 hours total
- Operator: Havasu Heli Flights, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: POC La Verne CA at 4:40 pm
- Destination: POC La Verne CA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 5:47 pm from KPOC, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 25, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.