Bell 206L-1 incident near Chiefland, Florida, July 6, 1989
On July 6, 1989 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Bell 206L-1 (helicopter), registered N2137U, was involved in an incident near Chiefland, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FAILURE OF THE FIRST STAGE TURBINE WHEEL DISK.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 1989 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chiefland, Florida · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N2137U · registry record · serial 45727
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLT WAS NEARING THE DESIGNATED PICK-UP AREA AT ABOUT 300 FT & WAS ON FINAL APRCH, WHEN A NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE ENG SECTION. THE PILOT MADE AN AUTOROTATION INTO A FIELD. AN EXAM OF THE TURBINE SECTION REVEALED THAT IT WAS 'LOCKED UP.' DISASSEMBLY OF THE TURBINE MODULE REVEALED THAT A PIECE OF THE FIRST STAGE TURBINE WHEEL DISK HAD SEPARATED.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,966 hours in all; 2,291 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 8,763 as pilot in command; 235 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,191 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 1, 1989; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison C28B-250 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kenn Aire Medical CORP.
The flight
- Departed from: 63FL Gainesville FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:46 pm from GNV, 52 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.