Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona, April 23, 2013
On April 23, 2013 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1, registered N2072M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Grand Canyon, Arizona (Grand Canyon National Park airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction to recognize before entering the flare that the wind had shifted to a tailwind and terminate the practice autorotation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 2013 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Canyon, Arizona · Grand Canyon National Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N2072M · registry record · serial 45720
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that she and the pilot receiving instruction were practicing autorotations. During an autorotation involving a right 180-degree turn, the flight instructor announced that the throttle was coming on, and then announced when full throttle was on. The pilot then started to level the helicopter. Because the wind had shifted to a tailwind during the maneuver, the pilot was forced to flare harder and use more cyclic control than expected. The flight instructor realized that completing a power recovery from the autorotation was going to result in an overtorque condition, took over control, and landed the helicopter. During the landing, the tailboom was substantially damaged. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Autorotation Attempted remediation/recovery
- Tailstrike during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Awareness of condition
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,967 hours in all; 1,107 in this make and model; 108 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 2,890 as pilot in command; 454 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 14, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,416 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 152 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 1,300 as pilot in command; 1,084 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 3, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 30,147 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 5, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Papillon Airways INC
The flight
- Departed from: KGN Grand Canyon AZ at 6:41 pm
- Destination: KGN Grand Canyon AZ
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 292° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point -15°F (-26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from GCN, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.