Bell 206B accident near Wallingford, Connecticut, September 8, 1984
On September 8, 1984 at about 8:25 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N4FL, was destroyed in an accident near Wallingford, Connecticut. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 1984 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- Wallingford, Connecticut
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4FL · registry record · serial 1229
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH WIRES AFTER THE PLT ANNOUNCED BY RADIO THAT HE WAS GOING TO MAKE A LOW PASS OVER THE SITE OF AN OUTDOOR EVENT THAT HE HAD JUST ATTENDED. SOME WITNESSES SAW THE HELICOPTER FLYING EXTREMELY LOW. IT APPEARED THAT ONE OF THE LANDING SKID STRUTS CONTACTED THE WIRE. THE ACFT FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN AND SEPARATED INTO PARTS AS IT DESCENDED TO THE GROUND.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,228 hours in all; 490 in this make and model; 1,072 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,704 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 19, 1984; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Wallingford CT at 8:25 pm
- Destination: 4N6 Garden City NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:45 pm from HVN, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.