Bell 206B accident near Young, Arizona, February 3, 1986
On February 3, 1986 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N3193T, was destroyed in an accident near Young, Arizona. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- February 3, 1986 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Young, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3193T · no longer on the register · serial 3807
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT & HIS DAUGHTER PLANNED TO FLY TO THEIR RANCH FOR THE PURPOSE OF HIRING A MANAGER. UPON ARRIVING AT THEIR DESTINATION GROUND FOG PREVAILED. THE PLT, FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, ATTEMPTED TO FIND AN AREA WHERE HE COULD DESCEND BELOW THE FOG. THE FOG WAS AT TREE TOP LEVEL, & WHILE MANEUVERING THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH 50 FEET TALL TREES. THE HELICOPTER FELL VERTICALLY ONTO ITS ROOF & ROLLED OVER KILLING THE PLT.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 231 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 5, 1985; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20J (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ at 2:00 pm
- Destination: Young AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.