40.7772° N, 73.8726° WPlaced by OpenAirDocs at LAGUARDIA (LGA), within about a mile.Open in the map
Date
February 21, 1980 · 08:41 local
Place
Flushing, NY
Airport
Laguardia
Phase of flight
To Vertical (Helicopter Only)
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
MTPA
Aircraft
N16959
Reported as
Bell 206L
Reported engine
Allison 250C20B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,000 total1,000 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot had engine malfunction. Made hovering autorotation. Compressor blade failure.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT HAD ENGINE MALFUNCTION. MADE HOVERING AUTOROTATION. COMPRESSOR BLADE FAILURE.