Bell 206B accident near Pompano Beach, Florida, January 11, 1996
On January 11, 1996 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N33HF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pompano Beach, Florida (Pompano Beach Air Park airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER FLARE BY THE RATED STUDENT PILOT, AND INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 11, 1996 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Pompano Beach, Florida · Pompano Beach Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N33HF · registry record · serial 192
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE RATED STUDENT PILOT WAS DEMONSTRATING A STRAIGHT-IN AUTOROTATION. HE ENTERED THE MANEUVER AT ABOUT 500 FEET AGL, AND A FLARE WAS INITIATED AT ABOUT 50 FEET AGL. INITIAL COLLECTIVE PITCH APPLICATION WAS MADE BETWEEN 15 TO 20 FEET AGL, AND HE DID NOT LEVEL THE HELICOPTER WITH CYCLIC. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) ATTEMPTED TO LEVEL THE HELICOPTER WITH CYCLIC CONTROL, BUT WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETELY LEVEL THE HELICOPTER DUE TO A PREMATURE APPLICATION OF ALL COLLECTIVE PITCH BY THE RATED STUDENT PILOT AND LOW ROTOR RPM. THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE ON THE HEELS OF THE SKIDS. THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER THEN PITCHED DOWN, AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE COLLIDED WITH THE TAILBOOM ASSEMBLY.
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
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,900 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 3,800 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,343 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 17, 1995; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20-B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PMP at 2:25 pm
- Destination: PMP
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:47 pm from PMP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.