Bell 206B and Bell 206B accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, June 14, 1985
On June 14, 1985 at about 6:40 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Bell 206B (N156L) and Bell 206B (N159L), were involved in the same accident near West Palm Beach, Florida. 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 1985 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- West Palm Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N156L · registry record · serial 2706
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
- Aircraft 2
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N159L · registry record · serial 2464
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative for the Bell 206B final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWO HELICOPTERS HAD JUST COMPLETED A MAIL DELIVERY OPERATION AS A FLT OF TWO. N159L HAD LANDED AND THE PLT LEFT THE ENG RUNNING SO AS TO LET THE ENG OPERATING TEMP STABILIZE. N156L APPROACHED IN A GROUND HOVER & COLLIDED WITH N159L. THE TWOPLT'S RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE PLT OF N156L STATED A GUST OF WIND BLEW HIM INTO N159L. THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE FROM 140 DEGS AT 6 KTS WITH NO GUSTS REPORTED.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Bell 206B final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWO HELICOPTERS HAD JUST COMPLETED A MAIL DELIVERY OPERATION AS A FLT OF TWO. N159L HAD LANDED AND THE PLT LEFT THE ENG RUNNING SO AS TO LET THE ENG OPERTING TEMP STABILIZE. N156L APPROACHED IN A GROUND HOVER AND COLLIDED WITH N159L. THE TWO PLTS RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE PLT OF N156L STATED A GUST OF WIND BLEW HIM INTO N159L. THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE FROM 140 DEGS AT 6 KTS WITH NO GUSTS REPORTED.
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 for the Bell 206B from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,302 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 107 in the last 90 days; 4,202 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,768 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 5, 1984; 64 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison C-20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Coastal Helicopter,Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: BCT Boca Raton FL
- Destination: PBI West Palm Bch FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:42 pm from PBI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
The factual record for the Bell 206B from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,180 hours in all; 918 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 1,078 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,618 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 1985; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison C-20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Coastal Helicopters,Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: BCT Boca Raton FL
- Destination: PBI West Palm Bch FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA85LA192.