Bell 206 B3 accident near St. Marks, Florida, December 21, 1990
On December 21, 1990, a Bell 206 B3 (helicopter), registered N37AN, was destroyed in an accident near St. Marks, Florida. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SAFE ALTITUDE WHILE DESCENDING OVER A COASTLINE, AT NIGHT, IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A FULL WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO DEPARTURE RESULTING IN HIS ENCOUNTER WITH INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT HIS DESTINATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 1990
- Place
- St. Marks, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206 B3 · all 206 B3s on the register
- Registration
- N37AN · no longer on the register · serial 3503
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT DID NOT RECEIVED FULL WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO DEPARTURE ON CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. ON ARRIVAL AT DEST FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLGICAL CONDITIONS, AS HAD BEEN FORECAST. WHILE DESCENDING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, AT NIGHT, OVER COASTLINE TO GET BELOW LOW OVERCAST LAYER OF CLOUDS, PILOT LOST OUTSIDE VISUAL REFERENCE AND ALLOWED THE HELICOPTER TO DESCEND AND CRASH INTO THE WATER. NO MECHANICAL FAILURES OF THE HELICOPTER OR ENGINE WERE NOTED AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,786 hours in all; 920 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 44 in the last 30 days; 2,593 as pilot in command; 8 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,511 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 17, 1990; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LAL Lakeland FL at 9:55 pm
- Destination: TLH Tallahassee FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.