Bell 206BIII accident near Davis, California, November 21, 1991
On November 21, 1991 at about 2:14 am local time, a Bell 206BIII (helicopter), registered N5011K, was destroyed in an accident near Davis, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE DECISION OF THE PILOT TO CONTINUE NIGHT LOW LEVEL FLIGHT IN FORECASTED ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FOGGY WEATHER AND DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS WHICH RESTRICTED THE PILOT'S VISUAL OUTLOOK.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 1991 · about 2:14 am local time
- Place
- Davis, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206BIII · all 206BIIIs on the register
- Registration
- N5011K · registry record · serial 2580
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A BELL HELICOPTER 206B III COLLIDED WITH LEVEL TERRAIN DURING NIGHT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE PILOT CONTACTED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TWENTY MILES SOUTHEAST OF HIS DESTINATION REPORTING INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH LOW VISIBILITY IN LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR CONDITIONS AND STARTED TO MANEUVER AROUND THE WEATHER. A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE HELICOPTER FLYING NORTH, AT AN ALTITUDE BELOW THE LEVEL OF AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE HELICOPTER HAD TO CLIMB TO CROSS THE INTERSTATE. THE HELICOPTER THEN DESCENDED, IMPACTED THE GROUND, AND DISINTEGRATED. ATC REPORTED LOST RADAR CONTACT WITH THE HELICOPTER. THE SEARCH FOR THE HELICOPTER WAS IMPEDED BY LOCAL DARKNESS AND GROUND FOG. THE PILOT'S DESTINATION AIRPORT LOCATED EIGHT NAUTICAL MILES NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS REPORTING A TEMPERATURE DEWPOINT SPREAD OF THREE DEGREES AND CALM WINDS.
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: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,058 hours in all; 222 in this make and model; 189 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days; 815 as pilot in command; 116 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,949 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 20, 1991; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aris Helicopter LTD
The flight
- Departed from: SFO San Francisco CA at 1:00 am
- Destination: SMF Sacramento CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:46 am from SMF, 8 miles away
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.