How many accidents has the Bell 206 had?

The NTSB has recorded 1329 events involving the Bell 206: 317 fatal, 192 serious, 242 minor injuries, and 546 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Bell 206 a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Bell 206 has 1329 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

Bell 206 Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 1329 events recorded from 1982 to 2026.

1329

All Events

546

Incidents

242

Minor

192

Serious

317

Fatal (670 fatalities)

Date	Location	Reg#	Severity	Damage	Probable Cause
Sep 07, 1995	CASTLE ROCK, WA	N62W	Incident	substantial	sabotage by a hunter (shooting at the helicopter with a crossbow).
Aug 28, 1995	CARMEL VALLEY, CA	N206MT	Incident	substantial	the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from obstructions while hovering.
Aug 27, 1995	OKLAHOMA CITY, OK	N2070Z	Incident	substantial	THE FAILURE OF THE LOW SIDE OF THE TURBINE GOVERNOR. A FACTOR THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING.
Aug 15, 1995	IMMOKALEE, FL	N193JB	Incident	substantial	The pilot's improper use of the cyclic during a power-on autorotative landing (low flare), resulting in the ventral fin colliding with the ground.
Jul 21, 1995	BETTLES, AK	N58129	Incident	substantial	FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ENSURING THE SLING CABLE WAS FREE OF THE SKID BEFORE LIFTING OFF INTO A HOVER, WHICH ALLOWED THE CABLE TO BECOME WRAPPED (ENTA… FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ENSURING THE SLING CABLE WAS FREE OF THE SKID BEFORE LIFTING OFF INTO A HOVER, WHICH ALLOWED THE CABLE TO BECOME WRAPPED (ENTANGLED) AROUND THE SKID.
Jul 17, 1995	WEST CAMERON,	N57536	Incident	substantial	THE DISCONNECT OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SYSTEM FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AND THE LA… THE DISCONNECT OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SYSTEM FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING.
Jul 06, 1995	NEW YORK, NY	N206GS	Incident	substantial	The pilot' inadequate preflight inspection. A factor was the pilot's diverted attention.
Jun 02, 1995	MEEKER, CO	N85RP	Incident	substantial	FAILURE BY THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING LANDING. A FACTOR WAS SOFT TERRAIN.
May 04, 1995	HAMILTON, MA	N219CT	Incident	substantial	the pilot's improper decision to fly at night with a night vision deficiency, and his failure to maintain clearance with trees during takeoff, which r… the pilot's improper decision to fly at night with a night vision deficiency, and his failure to maintain clearance with trees during takeoff, which resulted in an in-flight collision with the trees and the subsequent hard landing.
Apr 26, 1995	THERMAL, CA	N6197N	Incident	substantial	The CFI's failure to follow the flight manual procedures by using full up collective during an autorotation landing.
Apr 23, 1995	RICHFIELD, UT	N206AH	Incident	substantial	ICE INGESTION. FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: AIRCRAFT PROTECTIVE COVERINGS WERE UNAVAILABLE, INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, AND UNEVEN TERRAIN.
Apr 16, 1995	HORSESHOE BEND, MO	N729CH	Incident	substantial	the pilot's failure to untie the main rotor tie-down strap prior to starting the helicopter.
Mar 06, 1995	MIAMI, FL	N164BH	Incident	substantial	THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ENGINE POWER WHILE MANEUVERING, HIS FAILURE TO TAKE REMEDIAL ACTION TO RECOVER FROM THE RESUL… THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ENGINE POWER WHILE MANEUVERING, HIS FAILURE TO TAKE REMEDIAL ACTION TO RECOVER FROM THE RESULTING DESCENT, AND HIS DECISION TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON THE WATER.
Feb 27, 1995	MARYLAND HTS, MO	N970CC	Incident	substantial	FATIGUE FAILURE OF TWO ATTACHMENT BOLTS THAT CONNECTED THE DRIVESHAFT TO THE GEARED PORTION OF A DRIVESHAFT COUPLING. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT… FATIGUE FAILURE OF TWO ATTACHMENT BOLTS THAT CONNECTED THE DRIVESHAFT TO THE GEARED PORTION OF A DRIVESHAFT COUPLING. FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE, UNEVEN TERRAIN IN THE TOUCHDOWN AREA FOR THE FORCED LANDING, AND THE UNFAVORABLE HEIGHT/VELOCITY SITUATION OF THE HELICOPTER WHEN THE DRIVESHAFT DISCONNECT OCCURRED.
Feb 24, 1995	DILLON, MT	N2277T	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF A LANDING SITE THAT WAS NOT SUITABLE TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE HELICOPTER. FACTORS INCLUDE TERRAIN COVERED WITH SOFT SNOW.
Jan 29, 1995	NEACON, NU	N59556	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Jan 28, 1995	MIAMI, FL	N5008N	Incident	substantial	INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION, AND A LOOSE FUEL PC LINE. THE WIRES WERE A FACTOR WHICH NECESSITATED EARLY COLLECTIVE PITCH.
Dec 20, 1994	MIAMI, FL	N163BH	Incident	substantial	INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (CFI) FOR FAILURE TO NOTE REDUCTION IN CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TAIL ROTOR AND AN EMBANKMENT.
Dec 15, 1994	JULIAN, CA	N37AJ	Incident	substantial	the failure of the pilot to maintain a proper alignment during hover in a mountainous area.
Dec 04, 1994	KENAI, AK	N3179X	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE INFORMATION IN THE FLIGHT MANUAL CONCERNING THE USE OF THE PARTICLE SEPARATOR KIT AND DEFLECTOR KIT WHEN OPERATING I… THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE INFORMATION IN THE FLIGHT MANUAL CONCERNING THE USE OF THE PARTICLE SEPARATOR KIT AND DEFLECTOR KIT WHEN OPERATING IN FALLING SNOW. FACTORS WERE THE ROUGH TERRAIN IN THE FORCED LANDING AREA AND NO INSTALLATION OF THE DEFLECTOR KIT.
Nov 29, 1994	NATCHITOCHES, LA	N2183P	Incident	destroyed	THE DELAYED FLARE AND THE IMPROPER TOUCHDOWN BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND. FACTORS WERE THE OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES BY THE OPERAT… THE DELAYED FLARE AND THE IMPROPER TOUCHDOWN BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND. FACTORS WERE THE OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES BY THE OPERATOR AND THE PILOT, DELAYED MAINTENANCE, AND, AN ENGINE COMPRESSOR ASSEMBLY STALL, COMBINED WITH EROSION AND CORROSION OF THE STATOR VANES WHICH RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER.
Oct 27, 1994	RUSTON, LA	N206SF	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S IMPROPER HANDLING OF THE HELICOPTER AFTER AN APPARENT LOSS OF POWER DURING A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION.
Sep 02, 1994	HURST, TX	N2064J	Incident	substantial	THE CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER LANDING ALIGNMENT.
Aug 09, 1994	CHUIT RIVER, AK	N4604Y	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS DURING HOVER.
May 12, 1994	WINNEBAGO, IL	N49585	Incident	substantial	a wire strike due to failure to maintain proper altitude, and improper visual lookout by the pilot-in-command.

Disclaimer: This data is sourced from the NTSB Aviation Accident Database. NTSB events reflect reported accidents and incidents and do not necessarily indicate a defect in the aircraft type. Many events involve pilot error, weather conditions, maintenance issues, or other factors unrelated to the aircraft design. This information is provided for research purposes only — consult official NTSB reports for complete details.

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Data source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database · About our data

Bell 206 Safety Record

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