Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 accident near Payson, Arizona, August 28, 2013
On August 28, 2013 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1981 Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1, registered N2018R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Payson, Arizona (Payson airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured; 5 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to an overtemperature event that thermally damaged the turbine blades and vanes, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2013 · about 5:30 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Payson, Arizona · Payson · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 5 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1, built 1981 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N2018R · registry record · serial 45681
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the engine lost power while the helicopter was in cruise flight about 1,500 ft above ground level. He subsequently entered an autorotation and performed an emergency off-airport landing. During the descent, he maneuvered the helicopter to avoid obstacles; the helicopter subsequently landed hard, and the tailboom separated. Examination of the engine revealed that the outer portion of the engine's first-stage turbine blades and three vanes from the first-stage nozzle were thermally damaged. The turbine blades' microstructure exhibited signatures consistent with an engine overtemperature event; however, it could not be determined when the overtemperature damage occurred. The postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no additional evidence of a mechanical malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. Weight and balance calculations revealed that, when the helicopter departed, it was over its allowable gross takeoff weight but that it was under its allowable gross operational weight at the time of the engine power loss.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Autorotation Loss of engine power (partial)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Turbine section › Damaged/degraded other cases naming the engine
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weight/balance calculations › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 35.2 in the last 90 days; 17.8 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,462.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Alllison 250-C30P (turboshaft); 9,426 hours total
- Operator: Airlift Helicopters INC
The flight
- Departed from: SDL Scottsdale AZ at 4:10 pm
- Destination: FLG Flagstaff AZ
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PRC, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on December 11, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Email | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Airframe and Engine Examination | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N2018R on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Bell 206 JetRanger and LongRanger 1,453 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Bell 3,080 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Alllison 250-C30P · as the NTSB recorded it
- Payson Airport · nearest airport
- Scottsdale Airport · departed from
- Flagstaff Pulliam Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Arizona 2,985 since 1982 · 468 in the last ten years
- Arizona 8,431 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR13LA390.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.