Bell 206B accident near Salem, Ohio, July 8, 1996
On July 8, 1996 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N49578, was destroyed in an accident near Salem, Ohio. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's impairment of judgment and performance due to alcohol and the pilot's improper handling of the helicopter resulting in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. A related factor was the pilot's disregard for the aircraft's weight and balance while hovering out of ground effect.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 1996 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Salem, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N49578 · no longer on the register · serial 1856
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses stated that they observed the helicopter hovering just above some 70 to 80 foot tall trees near the Little Beaver Creek. They said that the helicopter spun around slowly 3 to 4 times and that the main rotor was spinning slowly before it went behind the trees and crashed. The winds at the time were from 010 degrees at 6 knots. Examination of the wreckage found no evidence of pre-impact damage with the airframe, engine or flight controls, however the aircraft was over its gross weight limitations for hovering out of ground effect by 277.7 lbs. Examination of a Operations Safety Notice issued by Bell Helicopter on October 31, 1983, found that the pilot was operating in an environment conducive to loss of tail rotor effectiveness. The pilot's toxicological results were 194.000 mg/dl ethanol detected in blood and 274.000 mg/dl ethanol detected in urine.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,352 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,707 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 7, 1996; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mid-Ohio Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 38D OH at 3:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 pm from CAK, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.