NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR22LA031
Registry · N27TK
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
BELL 206L-3
Year of manufacture
1985 · 36 years old at event
TCDS
H2SW · BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA LTD
Engine
ALLISON 250-C30 SER (650 hp)
Seats / Engines
7 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19951220
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A2A5D6
Registrant of record
AIR RESOURCES HELICOPTERS INC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
A passenger’s unsecured object departed the cabin resulted in a collision with the tail rotor drive shaft.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the helicopter reported that, he was conducting a local area photography/video flight with passengers. Before departure he had removed the doors and provided a preflight safety briefing, which included briefing his passengers on securing their belongings. While in cruise flight, a passenger’s jacked departed the helicopter and became lodged on the synchronized elevator. The pilot simultaneously felt an impact and noted resistance against the cyclic control. A precautionary landing was made without further incident. The tail rotor drive shaft was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Debris/dirt/foreign object-Contributed to outcome
- — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Understanding/comprehension-Passenger
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2021_WPR22LA031.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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