Bell 206B accident near Napa, California, September 8, 1997
On September 8, 1997 at about 5:06 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N770GG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Napa, California (Napa County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the pilot to perform an adequate preflight, which resulted in him failing to notice and release the tie down chains.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 1997 · about 5:06 pm local time
- Place
- Napa, California · Napa County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N770GG · no longer on the register · serial 2161
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter attempted to taxi to takeoff with the tie down chains still attached, it rolled over and a 3-foot section of the main rotor blades separated and penetrated the side of a building and landed on a desk. The pilot reported that he did not routinely tie the aircraft down at night. Ramp personnel tied the aircraft down the night before due to high winds at the airport. The pilot said that he performed his preflight and did not look down at the skids, nor did he notice the tie down chains.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,600 hours in all; 1,450 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 4,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,360 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 25, 1997; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from APC
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.