Bell 206B accident near Amboy, Washington, April 15, 2025
On April 15, 2025 at about 1:00 am local time, a 1976 Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N16671, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Amboy, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 2025 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Amboy, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B, built 1976 · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N16671 · registry record · serial 2087
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On April 14, 2025, about 1800 Pacific daylight time, a Bell 206B, N16671, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Amboy, Washington. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he had been operating the helicopter for about one hour, practicing takeoff and landings. While about 800 ft above ground level (agl), he felt a shudder and heard the engine sounding differently, followed by the engine chip detector light illuminating and the engine losing power. He entered an autorotation, turned right to an open field, and landed with about a 20-knot tailwind. During the landing sequence, the tail skid contacted the ground initially followed by the tailboom separating near the elevators. The helicopter came to rest balanced on the right skid, right elevator and one main rotor blade. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom. A visual examination of the engine revealed damage to the compressor section. The helicopter was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.
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 (total) during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,213.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 7, 2024; 0 hours since
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Portland OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KSPB, 23 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSPB 150053Z AUTO 35003KT 10SM CLR 24/00 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP147 T02440000
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR25LA134.