Bell 206L-1 accident near Grangeville, Idaho, August 10, 1986
On August 10, 1986, a Bell 206L-1 (helicopter), registered N1083Z, was destroyed in an accident near Grangeville, Idaho. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 5 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
- August 10, 1986
- Place
- Grangeville, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N1083Z · no longer on the register · serial 4150
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER PLT WAS ON AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE (EMS/MEDIVAC) FLT TO TRANSPORT SURVIVORS FROM AN AIRPLANE ACCIDENT. HE LANDED AT NIGHT ON A RIDGE ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM THE AIRPLANE CRASH SITE. AT ABOUT 2400 MDT, THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF FROM THE REMOTE, CONFINED LANDING AREA WITH 2 EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS (EMT'S), A SHERIFF & A BURN VICTIM ABOARD. THE PLT STARTED A STRAIGHT AHEAD CLIMB OVER A RIDGE, BUT PAUSED, THEN DID A RUDDER TURN. AS HE STARTED TO TAKEOFF DOWNWIND IN LIGHT & VARIABLE WINDS, HE LOST VISUAL REFERENCE WITH THE GROUND. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER BEGAN MOVING BACKWARDS & THE TAIL ROTOR CONTACTED A TREE. THE HELICOPTER THEN CRASHED ON DOWNSLOPING TERRAIN & LODGED AGAINST A TREE.
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: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,270 hours in all; 197 in this make and model; 118 in the last 90 days; 3,171 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,389 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C-28B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: Grangeville ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| 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.