Bell 206L accident near Miami, Florida, March 6, 1995
On March 6, 1995 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Bell 206L (helicopter), registered N164BH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Miami, Florida. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ENGINE POWER WHILE MANEUVERING, HIS FAILURE TO TAKE REMEDIAL ACTION TO RECOVER FROM THE RESULTING DESCENT, AND HIS DECISION TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON THE WATER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 6, 1995 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L · all 206Ls on the register
- Registration
- N164BH · no longer on the register · serial 46602
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that while maneuvering at 250-300 feet, video taping a boat, he heard three dull thumps and the helicopter began to settle and the engine appeared to lose power. He lowered collective and nosed over. The engine power seemed low and he elected to land on the water. Postcrash examination of the aircraft structure, aircraft systems, flight controls, engine assembly, and all engine controls revealed no evidence to indicate precrash failure or malfunction. Uncontaminated Jet-A fuel was found in the airframe and engine fuel systems. About 2 minutes of audio information from the video camera that was being used by the passenger-photographer on the helicopter was subjected to frequency analysis. This analysis showed the engine N-1 speed was steady at 92% until 6.99 seconds before water impact when it decreased steadily to flight idle. Rotor speed remained steady at 99.8% until the N-1 speed began to decrease to idle. Rotor speed then dropped to 92.3% and the low rotor warning horn activated at 96.3% rotor speed. No thumps as reported by the pilot could be heard.
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; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,284 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 1,589 as pilot in command; 870 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,322 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 17, 1995; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X44 FL at 8:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from MIA, 180 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.