Bell 206 accident near Fort Mcdowell, Arizona, April 16, 2019
On April 16, 2019 at about 2:06 pm local time, a 1981 Bell 206 (helicopter), registered N61PH, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Fort Mcdowell, Arizona. It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The separation of the main rotor head from the mast as a result of a sudden displacement of the cyclic stick during a low-G maneuver, leading to mast bumping. Contributing to the accident were the unsecure positioning of the flight test engineer’s laptop computer and the deviation from standard operating procedures to leave the left seat cyclic control installed during the test flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2019 · about 2:06 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Mcdowell, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206 B, built 1981 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N61PH · registry record · serial 3282
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and flight engineer were conducting a flight test to evaluate developmental main rotor blades that had been installed on the helicopter. The flight consisted of multiple autorotations at maximum gross weight, entered following a 1-second delay after a simulated loss of engine power. A witness saw the helicopter falling from the sky and saw several other objects descending to the ground before losing sight of it behind trees. Examination of the wreckage revealed damage to the main rotor mast, consistent with a mast bumping event. Cyclic controls were installed in both the pilot’s seat and the left seat, where the flight test engineer sat with equipment used for recording flight parameters, including an 8-lb laptop computer. In order for the engineer to operate the computer or take notes on the clipboard, he would have to hold the computer with one hand while using the other to enter commands or take notes. The installation of the cyclic in the engineer’s position represented a deviation from company procedures by both the pilot and the flight test engineer. Examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter prior to the mast bumping. The flight engineer’s fatigue of holding the 8-lb computer over his lap, the awkwardness of entering commands with one hand, or taking notes single-handedly may have allowed the computer to suddenly shift and strike or block the cyclic during the simulated loss of power test at the critical low-G flight condition.
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
- Mast bumping during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Control column section › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Engine out control › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Task environment › Physical workspace › Positioning/available space › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: type not recorded, January 25, 2019
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce Corporation M250-C20B (turboshaft); 9,337 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Van Horn Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: FFZ Mesa AZ at 12:45 pm
- Destination: FFZ Mesa AZ
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from KFFZ, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
27 documents, released by the NTSB on March 10, 2022. 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.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.