Bell 206B accident near W. Brattleboro, Vermont, May 30, 1985
On May 30, 1985 at about 1:15 am local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N23LV, was destroyed in an accident near W. Brattleboro, Vermont. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. 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
- May 30, 1985 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- W. Brattleboro, Vermont
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N23LV · no longer on the register · serial 2329
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT LOST PWR DURING NORMAL CRUISE. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO AUTOROTATE INTO A CLEARING IN THE TREES. POST ACCIDENT EXAM DISCOVERED AN AIR LEAK IN THE FUEL CONTROL. THE PRESSURE COMPRESSOR DISCHARGE (PCD) LINE 'B' NUT WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE FUEL CONTROL. THIS CAUSED THE ENG TO REDUCE PWR TO FLT IDLE.
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; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,338 hours in all; 533 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 1,196 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,652 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 20, 1985; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Brattleboro VT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: at 10 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.