Bell 204-B accident near East Clovis, California, August 27, 1985
On August 27, 1985 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Bell 204-B (helicopter), registered N204RH, was substantially damaged in an accident near East Clovis, California (Rogers Heliport airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91, subpart F). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 1985 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- East Clovis, California · Rogers Heliport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 204-B · all 204-Bs on the register
- Registration
- N204RH · no longer on the register · serial 2025
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91, subpart F)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS BEING FLOWN FOR A MAINTENANCE CK. WHILE CLIMBING AT ABOUT 50 FT AGL A BANG WAS HEARD AND ENG RPM DECREASED. PLT INITIATED AUTOROTATION AND ATTEMPTED A FLARE AT ABOUT 20 FT AGL. THE TAIL ROTOR HIT AND THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE AFTER HITTING ON THE SKIDS WITH THE ENG RPM INCREASING AGAIN. THE ACFT BEGAN TO SPIN TO THE RT ANC CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. AN ENG TEARDOWN SHOWED THE COMPRESSOR AND STATORS HAD ERROSION DAMAGE. THE ACFT HAD JUST HAD MAINTENANCE PERFORMED AND WAS UNDERGOING A FLT TEST POWER CHECK WHEN THE ACC OCCURRED. THE PLT SAID THE ENG 'QUIT' AND HE THOUGH IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A COMPRESSOR STALL.
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; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,200 hours in all; 1,480 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 8,180 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,225 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 13, 1985; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,500 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T-5313B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N204RH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.