Bell 206B3 accident near Titusville, Florida, September 23, 2005
On September 23, 2005 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Bell 206B3 (helicopter), registered N39MK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Titusville, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's improper flare resulting in a hard landing and main rotor contact with tail boom.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2005 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B3 · all 206B3s on the register
- Registration
- N39MK · registry record · serial 2984
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor stated that while performing autorotation with a student, he began with an entry of 600 feet in a steady state autorotation. The deceleration was normal and upon termination of the maneuver. He felt a small vibration and saw a piece of metal fly over and to the front of the helicopter. He immediately closed the throttle and shut down the helicopter. He exited and saw the tail section had been damaged.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,171 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 3,811 as pilot in command; 19 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 85 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,706 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2005; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Helicopter Adventures Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: TIX Titusville FL
- Destination: TIX Titusville FL
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; a few clouds at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from KTIX, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N39MK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.