Mcdonnell Douglas HU-600N accident near Miami, Florida, March 3, 2000
On March 3, 2000 at about 8:29 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas HU-600N (helicopter), registered N611BC, was destroyed in an accident near Miami, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's ostentatious display and in-flight decision to perform an abrupt low altitude pitch up maneuver (aerobatic flight). This resulted in the main rotor blades colliding with and separating the tail boom assembly while maneuvering, and the helicopters subsequent in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 2000 · about 8:29 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas HU-600N
- Registration
- N611BC · no longer on the register · serial RN008
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Sky 6 pilot was returning to Tamiami Airport, Miami, Florida, when he overheard a friend departing the airport. They established radio contact on the air-to-air frequency, and the sky 6 pilot decided to join his friend on the outbound leg. He made a 180 degree turn, and joined up on the right side of his friends helicopter. They talked for a short time and the Sky 6 pilot departed. His friend stated, Sky 6 started a descent estimated at about 15 degree nose-down attitude. His passenger stated Sky 6 descent was about a 45 degree nose down attitude. The friend and the passenger stated the nose of Sky 6 pitched up 70 degrees or past the 90 degree point. The helicopter yawed to the left, held there, appeared to slide backwards, the nose pitched down, the tail boom assembly separated, and the helicopter collided with terrain. Another news helicopter pilot, who knew the Sky 6 pilot, stated he overheard Sky 6 talking with another pilot on the air-to-air frequency. Based on there conversation he assumed they knew each other. At about 1530, he and a flight controller heard Sky 6 state, 'watch this.' There was no other communication between Sky 6 and the other pilot. Witnesses on the ground stated they observed both helicopters in straight and level flight. The accident helicopter nose was observed to pitch down and then pitched up to a near vertical nose-up attitude. The helicopter yawed to the left, slid backwards, the nose pitched down, and the tail boom separated. The helicopter started rotating to the right until it disappeared from view. Other news helicopter pilots stated the Sky 6 pilot would arrive at a news scene and stop the helicopter by conducting a cyclic climb maneuver and then bring the helicopter to a hover. A friend of the Sky 6 pilot stated he had a conversation with the pilot during the first part of February 2000. The pilot described a maneuver that he had been performing in the helicopter. He would make a high speed pass down a runway followed by a steep pull-up. At the top of the pull-up he would reverse the heading by 180 degrees, and then recover from the ensuing dive similar to a hammerhead turn in a fixed wing aircraft. Examination of the airframe, flight controls, engine assembly and accessories revealed no evidence of a precrash mechanical failure or malfunction. Examination of the tail boom assembly revealed four main rotor blade strikes in addition to the fracture that resulted in the separation of the tail boom.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,506 hours in all; 526 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 5,900 as pilot in command; 1,115 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 964 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 2, 2000; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,850 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C47M (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TMB at 8:03 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from TMB, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.