Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 accident near Inyokern, California, July 13, 2013
On July 13, 2013 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1, registered N123HP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Inyokern, California (Inyokern airport). It was an executive or corporate 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 pilot to maintain aircraft control during a practice autorotation maneuver and the pilot providing training's delayed remedial action which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the lack of communication between the two pilots.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 2013 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Inyokern, California · Inyokern · 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
- N123HP · registry record · serial 45394
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a flight for the purpose of the pilot to acquire the minimum flight hours to act as pilot-in-command, he and a pilot providing training (who was not a flight instructor) of the helicopter were practicing autorotation's from flight to a power recovery. The pilot providing training stated that on the fourth autorotation the pilot allowed the rotor rpm to decay and then froze on the controls, not allowing him to increase the throttle. He was able to level the helicopter; however, it landed hard and the main rotor blades struck and severed the tail boom. The pilot reported that at the initiation of the maneuver, the pilot providing training rolled the throttle off, and the downwind glide was established. The pilot stated that as he leveled the helicopter and collective was pulled, he realized that the engine was not completely back on line. The pilot providing training subsequently took over the flight controls and flew the helicopter to the ground. Both pilots reported the need for better verbal commands or stating intentions throughout the maneuver. Neither pilot reported a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure with the helicopter 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 Hard landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Lack of communication › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 19,418 hours in all; 4,900 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 15, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,821 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 15, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royc 250-C40B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Southwest Heliservices LLC
The flight
- Departed from: IYK Inyokern CA at 6:30 pm
- Destination: IYK Inyokern CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,150 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots, gusting 3
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:30 pm from IYK
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.