Bell 206B accident near Naples, Florida, March 4, 2006
On March 4, 2006 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N6BR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Naples, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable area to make a precautionary landing which resulted in the helicopter rolling into a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 2006 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Naples, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6BR · no longer on the register · serial 3851
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that while in cruise flight he noted a reduction in the N2 needle, which was near 90, while the rotor needle was at 100 percent. He said he elected to make a precautionary landing in a clear area as quickly as possible, and he did so too close to a 10-foot wide irrigation ditch. He said he performed a soft landing but did not realize that the helicopter was so close to the ditch. After the helicopter sat for a while, he said that the sand in the rear must have collapsed under the helicopter's rear center of gravity because the nose of the helicopter started to rise slowly, as the helicopter started to slide backwards. According to the pilot, the tail of the helicopter struck the opposite side of the irrigation ditch and the helicopter pivoted to the right, and came to rest in the ditch, in about 15 inches of water. An FAA inspector conducted postcrash examinations of the helicopter with the assistance of representatives from Bell Helicopter Company and Rolls-Royce Engines, and no anomalies were noted with the helicopter or any of its systems.
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: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,792 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C26J (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FA37 Naples FL at 5:00 pm
- Destination: FA37
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Observation at 5:13 pm from APF
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.