Bell 206B accident near Mountain Spring, Nevada, February 24, 1997
On February 24, 1997 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N42SS, was destroyed in an accident near Mountain Spring, Nevada. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's poor weather evaluation and the decision to continue to attempt to land during forecast adverse weather conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 1997 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Mountain Spring, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N42SS · registry record · serial 3345
- 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
The pilot encountered turbulent wind conditions on short final approach to the mountain helipad. He aborted his first two approaches and attempted a third. During the third approach he encountered the turbulent conditions again. He attempted to maneuver the helicopter by turning downslope and avoid the upsloping terrain. While in the turn the helicopter struck high vegetation and then the ground. The pilot reported that he checked weather by listening to the Reno Flight Service Station recorded weather. A SIGMENT was in effect at the time and was forecasting severe turbulence. The SIGMENT stated, 'Strong updrafts and down drafts over mountains and also low level wind shear expected.' The elevation of the mountain helipad was 8,514 feet msl.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,994 hours in all; 4,905 in this make and model; 177 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 10,370 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,597 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 21, 1997; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV at 8:40 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 19 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from LAS, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.