Bell 206B accident near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, July 11, 1996
On July 11, 1996 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N999TV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
fatigue failure of the engine PC line, induced by damage from improper installation, which resulted in a loss of engine power and an autorotative landing to unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 1996 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Pigeon Forge, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N999TV · no longer on the register · serial 184
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was refueled before flight. About 1 minute after takeoff, at about 500 feet agl, the engine lost power. The pilot enter an autorotation and established a glide to a field ahead. As he approached the field, he pull up the collective to clear a house and a ditch. Subsequently, the main rotor rpm decreased and the helicopter touched down hard. Postcrash examination of the helicopter revealed the engine PC air line had separated near the attaching nut on the compressor scroll end. Metallurgical examination showed the tube had separated due to fatigue cracking, which was induced by installation damage. No other preaccident failure or malfunction of the engine, helicopter structure, or flight controls was found. Allison Engine Company representatives stated the engine would go to minimum fuel flow after separation of the PC line.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,944 hours in all; 822 in this make and model; 204 in the last 90 days; 63 in the last 30 days; 1,515 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,948 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 5, 1996; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Scenic Helicopter Rides, LTD
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from TYS, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.