Bell 206B accident near Huntington Bch, California, March 23, 1986
On March 23, 1986 at about 3:00 am local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N49643, was substantially damaged in an accident near Huntington Bch, California (Heliport Aminoil USA INC. airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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
- March 23, 1986 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Huntington Bch, California · Heliport Aminoil USA INC. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N49643 · no longer on the register · serial 1813
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A BELL 206B COLLIDED WITH A BERM AFTER AN ENG FAILURE WHILE DEPARTING A HELIPAD. THE PLT INDICATED HE HAD JUST DEPARTED THE HELIPAD AT NIGHT AND AT APRX 50 FT AGL THE ENG FAILED. THE ACFT VERTICAL FIN HIT THE BERM CAUSING THE TAIL BOOM TO BEND AFT OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER INTO THE PATH OF THE MAIN ROTOR. THE MAIN ROTOR SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM. THE ACFT ROTATED 90 DEG AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT WITHOUT FURTHER DAMAGED. A TEAR DOWN INSPECTION OF THE ENG WAS CONDUCTED. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF MATERIAL FAILURE OR MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. THERE WAS FUEL FOUND IN THE FUEL CONTROL AND FUEL PUMP. EXAM OF THE FUEL PUMP FILTER AND HIGH PRESSURE FUEL FILTER REVEALED NO CONTAMINANTS OR WATER IN THE SYSTEM. THE FUEL PUMP, GOVERNOR, AND FUEL CONTROL WERE EXAMINED AND BENCH TESTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS. ALL THREE COMPONENTS MET MANUFACTURERS PERFORMANCE CRITERIA.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,084 hours in all; 552 in this make and model; 116 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 3,754 as pilot in command; 1,853 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,829 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 22, 1986; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250 C-20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aspen Helicopter, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 20L Huntington Bch CA at 3:00 am
- Destination: 18L Platform Emmy CA
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Observation at 2:55 am from LGB, 12 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.
Other NTSB records under N49643 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.