Bell 206L-1 accident near Barstow, California, February 15, 1994
On February 15, 1994 at about 2:02 am local time, a Bell 206L-1 (helicopter), registered N1077N, was destroyed in an accident near Barstow, California (Barstow Dagget airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudgment of the landing flare altitude during a night autorotation while preoccupied with maintaining proper main rotor rpm. A factor in the accident was the pilot's visual perception which was affected by the outside ambient lighting conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 1994 · about 2:02 am local time
- Place
- Barstow, California · Barstow Dagget · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N1077N · no longer on the register · serial 45349
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot intended to do several autorotations at the end of his daily flights to verify a new clutch assembly which was installed on the helicopter that morning. The pilot said that it was twilight, but that he could clearly see the runway lights when he lifted off to do the autorotations. The pilot made one successful autorotation and decided on a second one to check the main rotor rpm. The pilot said that during the second one the main rotor rpm was low, but he did not get a low rotor warning horn or light. The pilot said that during the descent he was trying to bring the main rotor rpm up by varying his airspeed until the flare point. Witnesses reported that the helicopter began a flare about 50 feet above the runway, then landed hard. The helicopter became airborne again, began to spin, and then landed hard, rolling onto its left side. No evidence of mechanical failure was found during an examination of the helicopter. Sunset occurred at 1733 and the end of civil twilight was at 1759. The accident was at 1802.
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: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,757 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 59 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 9,557 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,826 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 22, 1994; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 5,119 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:03 am from DAG
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.
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.