Bell 206-BIII accident near Bartow, Florida, November 2, 1993
On November 2, 1993 at about 2:24 pm local time, a Bell 206-BIII (helicopter), registered N97BL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bartow, Florida. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 2, 1993 · about 2:24 pm local time · cases in 1993
- Place
- Bartow, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206-BIII · all 206-BIIIs on the register
- Registration
- N97BL · registry record
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Not recorded
- Operator: Polk County, Dept of Enviro
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 am from PIE
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N97BL on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Bell 206 JetRanger and LongRanger 1,453 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Bell 3,079 aircraft on the register
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 988 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,696 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/MIA94T%23A01.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.