Bell 206B accident near Vallejo, California, September 9, 1987
On September 9, 1987 at about 6:38 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N1082S, was destroyed in an accident near Vallejo, California. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. 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
- September 9, 1987 · about 6:38 pm local time
- Place
- Vallejo, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1082S · no longer on the register · serial 2902
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE PERFORMING A ROUTINE AERIAL OBSERVATION FLIGHT TO INSPECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY'S TRANSMISSION LINES, THE HELICOPTER CRASHED AFTER COLLIDING WITH AN UNMARKED STATIC WIRE. THE LINE INSTALLATION WAS ON SLOPING TERRAIN & CONSISTED OF 3 TOWERS. THE SEVERED STATIC LINE WAS SUPPORTED BY TOWERS HAVING HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THE PLT FAILED TO DETECT & AVOID THE ELEVATED STATIC LINE. PG & E FAILED TO PROVIDE THE PLT WITH ADVANCE NOTICE OF THE HAZARDOUS & SOMEWHAT UNIQUE LINE CONFIGURATION.
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; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,817 hours in all; 2,300 in this make and model; 97 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 5,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,046 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 7, 1987; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Commodore Helicopters, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: APC Napa CA at 6:07 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.