# Accident 19800311005649A: Bell 206BELL, Venice, LA, March 11, 1980

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 11, 1980, 13:42 local time
- Place: Venice, LA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.2931° N, 89.3689° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Venice, LA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.2931&lon=-89.3689&mi=10
- Aircraft: N16966, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N16966-1980-05-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206B (registry code 1181511, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250 SER 400HP (registry code 03013, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-ser-400hp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206BELL
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 5,702 total, 2,492 in this make and model, 176 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW80DRD19](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW80DRD19) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800311005649A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE PILOT INITIATED A DESCENT FROM 700 FEET OVER WATER & FOG. WAS READING A CHART & FLEW INTO THE WATER.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW80DRD19](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW80DRD19), Mar 11, 1980: Bell 206B (N16966), Venice, LA, destroyed

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.