Bell 206L-1 accident near Meadview, Arizona, May 28, 2002
On May 28, 2002 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Bell 206L-1 (helicopter), registered N1075S, was destroyed in an accident near Meadview, Arizona. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain distance and altitude during landing approach, resulting in the helicopter striking the ground during approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2002 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Meadview, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N1075S · no longer on the register · serial 43566
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that prior to impact, the helicopter was operating normally but he could not recall details. One witness said the helicopter descended along the canyon wall at an altitude of 40 to 50 feet, and slowed its descent as it made a course reversal towards the landing zone. The nose "dipped," then rose, and the tail boom struck the ground and separated, and the helicopter began to "spin out of control." Another witness saw the helicopter "twisting in a horizontal plane, i.e. the tail swinging from side to side" just before impact. A third witness, a helicopter pilot, said the wind was light and variable as he heard rotor blade "slap," and knew the helicopter was in a turn. He then heard the sound of impact. According to the company's loader, there was no change in the engine or rotor sounds prior to the tailboom striking "a small incline of a hill." Postaccident examination disclosed no evidence of mechanical malfunction.
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: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,200 hours in all; 966 in this make and model; 68 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 6,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 22,603 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 9, 2002; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Papillon Airways, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 1G4 Grand Canyon AZ at 6:30 pm
- Destination: NONE
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from IGM, 60 miles away
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.
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.