Bell 206B accident near Merced, California, August 5, 2003
On August 5, 2003 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N9254Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Merced, California. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's excessive movement of the helicopter's controls during an aborted landing, which resulted in a loss of control (dynamic rollover) and an in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2003 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Merced, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9254Y · registry record · serial 4354
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he was landing on a concrete pad at a construction site. The helicopter was not positioned completely on the concrete landing pad, and the aft section of the skids were hanging off the pad. While lowering the collective, the helicopter rocked back and the tail rotor skid touched the ground. The pilot abruptly attempted to pull the helicopter back into a hover, and the helicopter moved forward and started to roll to the right. The pilot was unable to stop the rolling movement, and the helicopter struck the ground, coming to rest on its right side.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,130 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 134 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 1,003 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 28, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,155 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 19, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MOD Modesto CA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: Merced CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from MOD, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX03LA253.