Bell 206BIII accident near Ojai, California, September 19, 2000
On September 19, 2000 at about 7:35 pm local time, a Bell 206BIII (helicopter), registered N90214, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ojai, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot encountered a loss of tail rotor effectiveness which led to an uncontrolled rotation and subsequent hard landing. Factors were unfavorable wind conditions, density altitude, and uneven terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2000 · about 7:35 pm local time
- Place
- Ojai, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206BIII · all 206BIIIs on the register
- Registration
- N90214 · registry record · serial 1662
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying personnel to several flood control monitoring stations. After landing to the west on a ridgeline at an elevation about 5,000 feet, the pilot decided to reposition closer to the station. He hover taxied to his landing area. As the skids touched down, the pilot felt the helicopter slide to the right. He picked back up into a hover and decided to fly back to the original landing site. After applying takeoff power, he pushed the nose of the helicopter over and began to fly away downslope. The nose of the helicopter began to rotate to the right, even with full left pedal applied. The pilot reduced collective and continued downslope. As the nose continued to the right, he increased collective, and began to follow the right yaw with cyclic. He flew the helicopter to a downwind position approximately abeam his landing site. Then the nose tucked down and the tail swung to the left. He reduced collective and throttle as the helicopter crash-landed into the slope below his landing site. The air temperature was 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the density altitude was about 8,000 feet, and the winds were from 240 degrees at 5 knots.
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
- LOSS OF CONTROL - IN FLIGHT during takeoff
- HARD LANDING during landing
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, none, APLN, helicopter, helicopter
- Flight time: 3,822 hours in all; 131 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 2,690 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 1
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,400 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, April 28, 2000; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: OXR Oxnard CA at 6:10 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; clear
- Temperature: 151°C, dew point 142°C
- Altimeter: 29 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from OXR, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX00LA343.