Bell 206B accident near Elsie, Oregon, July 24, 2002
On July 24, 2002 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N60PH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Elsie, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The shattering and separation of the forward right (pilot's) windscreen for undetermined reason(s).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2002 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Elsie, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N60PH · registry record · serial 304
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the Bell 206B rotorcraft was en route at 110-115 miles per hour in level cruise flight approximately 1,500 feet above ground level (agl) when the right front windscreen shattered and separated from the windscreen frame. The rotorcraft yawed to the right and entered into a descending right turn which the pilot recovered from approximately 500 feet agl. An FAA inspector who examined the helicopter after the accident reported that the center portion of the windscreen had broken inward, with the windscreen edges remaining attached to the airframe. The FAA inspector reported that his examination did not reveal any evidence of a bird strike. The windscreen had been replaced in 1992 and a warp was noted on the far right side of the pilot's windscreen when the rotorcraft was acquired by the operator. The pilot reported that a mechanic associated with the previous owner said that the warp was from an unknown heat source in the past, although this could not be positively related to the accident separation.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,695 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,333 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 31, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,291 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 29, 2001; 88 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 17S Newberg OR at 7:15 pm
- Destination: 56S Seaside OR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from AST, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.