Bell 206B accident near Odenton, Maryland, December 18, 2002
On December 18, 2002 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N651GA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Odenton, Maryland (Tipton Airport). 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 pilot's failure to monitor his fuel supply which resulted in a power loss due to fuel exhaustion, and the pilot's misjudged flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 18, 2002 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Odenton, Maryland · Tipton Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N651GA · no longer on the register · serial 1936
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on an aerial photography mission in a Bell 206B helicopter with what he thought was sufficient fuel for 1.6 hours of flight at 28 gph. Returning to the airport to refuel, he experienced a power loss. A witness reported the helicopter appeared to drop in from about 20 feet. The helicopter struck the ground hard and bounced. The main rotor struck the tail boom aft of the horizontal stabilizer and it separated from the helicopter. The pilot reported that he had been airborne for 1.3 hours. The FAA inspector reported that the fuel tank was empty. Further inspection of the fuel quantity measuring system revealed that it was smooth with no hesitation felt in the sensing arm, or observed on the fuel quantity gauge. With the fuel sensing up in the full up position, the fuel quantity gauge indicated about 2 gallons less than full. With the fuel quantity arm in the lowered position, and no fuel in the tank, the fuel quantity gauge read zero or empty.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,950 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 2,456 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,100 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 3, 2002; 94.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Glenwood Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: FME Odenton MD at 2:10 pm
- Destination: FME
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.54 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from BWI, 7 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.