Premium research interface

The modern interface for aviation safety intelligence.

Search investigations, review source evidence, monitor watched reports, and trace long-term patterns from one calm, data-first workspace.

63k+
Reports indexed
1940-2026
Coverage
Recent
Last data refresh
Featured Report

Loading…

Loading featured report…

Loading…
Open Report

Safety trends by operating rule

Track fatal and non-fatal accident patterns across Part 91, Part 135, and Part 121 operations.

Loading trend charts…

Browse the aviation graph

Move quickly by aircraft, airport, operator, and time with indexes built for research, not wandering.

Last Data Update

By Decade

By Month

Aircraft Manufacturer

More manufacturers

Airports

More airports

Operators

More operators

About

Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

The goal is practical safety education: make it faster to find relevant investigations, compare similar events, review factual records, and understand the evidence behind probable-cause and preliminary reports.

The investigative work and source records belong to the National Transportation Safety Board and the published investigation record. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NTSB.

FAQs

NTSB Report

October 25, 2014 · Bell 206B · N418SV

West Palm Beach, FL

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
October 25, 2014
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (5 uninjured)
Location
West Palm Beach, FL
Aircraft
Bell 206B (1978)
Tail Number
N418SV
Operator
Helix Helicopters
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
ERA15LA060

The pilot, who was also the owner of the helicopter, reported that, after uneventfully completing a local flight, she observed a crack in the left skid. Further examination by a mechanic revealed additional substantial damage consistent with a hard landing. The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger stated that no hard landings occurred during the local flight. The pilot also reported that, 2 days before the accident, a flight instructor had conducted two instructional flights in the accident helicopter at a different airport. According to the flight instructor and the two pilots receiving instruction on those flights, no hard landings occurred during the two flights, and they observed no damage during the two preflight and postflight inspections. Additionally, following those flights, the pilot repositioned the helicopter back to its home airport and did not notice any damage during the preflight or postflight inspection. The pilot added that the helicopter was not flown between the repositioning flight and the local flight after which the damage was discovered. The investigation could not determine when the damage occurred or who was flying the helicopter when it did.

NTSB Probable Cause

Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Incorrect use/operation - C

Full Narrative

On October 25, 2014, about 1240 eastern daylight time, a Bell 206B, N418SV, operated by Helix Helicopters, exhibited substantial damage after landing uneventfully at Wellington Aero Club (FD38), West Palm Beach, Florida. The commercial pilot and four passengers were not injured. The local personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed FD38 about 1130. The owner/pilot stated that she took some friends on a pleasure sightseeing flight. After landing the helicopter on a dolly and disembarking the passengers, she observed a large crack on the underside of the passenger side skid. Further examination of the helicopter by a mechanic revealed the following additional damage: impact damage between the main driveshaft and transmission isolation mount; a cracked support at the left forward engine mount; a cracked starter generator mount bracket; and a cracked main rotor yoke. The damage was consistent with a recent hard landing. The owner/pilot stated that there were no hard landings during the sightseeing flight, which was corroborated by a pilot-rated-passenger. The owner/pilot added that 2 days prior to the damage being observed, two instructional flights were conducted by another pilot/flight instructor at Palm Coast, Florida. Following those instructional flights, the owner/pilot repositioned the helicopter to FD38 and did not notice any damage. She further stated that the helicopter was not flown between the repositioning flight and the sightseeing flight. According to written statements from the flight instructor and two pilots receiving instruction, no hard landings occurred during the two instructional flights. Additionally, during a postflight inspection following the first flight, oil was observed around the tailrotor gearbox as the tailrotor gearbox cap had separated. The tailrotor gearbox was then serviced with oil and the tailrotor gearbox cap was secured. A preflight and postflight inspection during the second flight did not reveal any other anomalies.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time12:40 EDT
Nearest AirportWellington Aero Club (0nm N)
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftBell 206B
Tail NumberN418SV
Aircraft CategoryHeli
DamageSubstantial
OperatorHelix Helicopters
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeTurboshaft
Engine DetailsAllison · 250 C20B · Turboshaft · 420
Seats5

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (5 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured5
Total5
Crew 1Age 46 · Second Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind10° @ 11 kt, gusting 18 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point59
Altimeter29.90 inHg
Observation Time12:53
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data