Bell 206B accident near Sprague, Washington, April 7, 2006
On April 7, 2006 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N96NW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sprague, Washington. It was a public-use flight (state) under public-use (government) rules. 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 maintain clearance from mountainous terrain while maneuvering. Mountainous terrain was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2006 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sprague, Washington · 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
- N96NW · registry record · serial 4389
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (state) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while conducting deer capture operations, and during a low altitude tail-low flare maneuver, the helicopter's tail rotor blades struck a rock outcropping while maneuvering around a knoll, resulting in the helicopter rotating 270 degrees to the right before contacting the ground and rolling over onto its left side. There was no post crash fire and the pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter prior to or during the flight.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 25,200 hours in all; 19,500 in this make and model; 188 in the last 90 days; 22,460 as pilot in command; 1,264 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,302 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C-20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Sprague WA at 4:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 18,000 ft; a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from GEG, 20 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.