Bell 206B accident near Warren, Idaho, July 24, 1996
On July 24, 1996 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N750LT, was destroyed in an accident near Warren, Idaho. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper remedial action after helicopter's right skid became snagged by a log that was used in the construction of a temporary landing site. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing area, inadequate construction of the landing site by ground personnel, and the ground personnel's lack of training regarding the construction of a temporary landing zone.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 1996 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Warren, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N750LT · registry record · serial 1767
- 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 airline transport pilot landed in a remote mountainous site to board two timber cutters and provide transportation. The timber cutters had constructed a helipad at the site by felling a tree, slicing it into two sections, and placing the sections about 7 feet apart from each other on sloping terrain. The forward section was secured with two pieces of round wood loosely placed on the ground, but the section could pivot on its curved side. After surveying the landing site, the pilot set the helicopter down on the two tree sections with the tip of the right skid resting on the aft edge of the forward log. The timber cutters loaded their equipment in the rear of the helicopter and boarded while it was standing with the rotors turning. The pilot stated that the forward log then began to roll aft, and the right skid shifted downward. The pilot attempted to lift the log off the right skid. The helicopter continued to nose over as the pilot added power and collective. A main rotor blade struck rising terrain in front of the helicopter, and the helicopter rolled over onto its right side. The pilot was the owner/operator of the company and had applied for authorization to conduct flight operations under 14 CFR 135. However, he was not yet FAA-certificated to conduct such flights. The cutters had received no formal training on helipad construction.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,600 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,900 as pilot in command; 1,300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Helicopter Support Services
The flight
- Destination: Pony Creek ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N750LT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.