Bell 206B III accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona, December 8, 1983
On December 8, 1983 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Bell 206B III (helicopter), registered N113ML, was destroyed in an accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 1983 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Canyon, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B III · all 206B IIIs on the register
- Registration
- N113ML · registry record · serial 2709
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER STRUCK A CABLE WHILE FLYING ABOUT 25 FT AGL IN THE GRAND CANYON. THE ACFT WAS ON AN AERIAL OBSERVATION TO SURVEY AND ACQUAINT A PASSENGER WITH THE ARIZONA STRIP WILDERNESS DISTRICT. PHOENIX FSS HIGHLY RECOMMENDS THAT PLTS NOT FLY DOWN INTO THE CANYON. THE CABLES WERE ABOUT 34 FT ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE COLORADO RIVER AND THE HELICOPTER WENT BELOW THE CABLE WHICH CONTACTED THE MAIN ROTOR MAST AND SEPARATED IT FROM THE FUSELAGE. SINCE THIS ACCIDENT CABLES IN GRANDS CANYON NATIONAL PARK WERE MARKED WTH ORANGE BALLS.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,500 hours in all; 2,015 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 43,003 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,869 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 5, 1983; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PGA Page AZ at 8:08 pm
- Destination: SGU St. George UT
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from GCN, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
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 LAX84FA097.