Bell 206B accident near Lewes, Delaware, March 23, 2007
On March 23, 2007 at about 7:55 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N828BA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lewes, Delaware. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in an in flight collision with utility wires during takeoff, and a subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2007 · about 7:55 pm local time
- Place
- Lewes, Delaware · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N828BA · no longer on the register · serial 3426
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a Bell 206B helicopter was picking up three passengers at a housing construction site, and taking them to an airport. After the third passenger boarded, the pilot hovered the helicopter, and initiated a takeoff to the southwest over an approximate 300-foot grass area. About 50 feet agl, as the helicopter reached effective translational lift, the pilot lowered the collective and immediately saw a wire stretch across the windscreen and ride upward. The helicopter subsequently impacted the field, rolled left, and came to rest on its left side. During the impact, the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.
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: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,085 hours in all; 258 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 649 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Lewes DE
- Destination: HEF Manassas VA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from GED, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 1 |
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.