19860326011129A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Gulf Of Mexico, LA · March 26, 1986

Date: March 26, 1986 · 12:25 local
Place: Gulf Of Mexico, LA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3181Y
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW86LA047
Reported as: Bell 206B
Reported engine: Allison 250C20B
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,152 total3,182 in this make and model165 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.

Door came open, lifejacket flew out, hit tail rotor. Tail rotor assembly separated. Landed safely. Door latch ok.

As the FAA filed it

DOOR CAME OPEN, LIFEJACKET FLEW OUT, HIT TAIL ROTOR. TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY SEPARATED. LANDED SAFELY. DOOR LATCH OK.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW86LA047Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGulf Of MexicoThe pilot failed to assure the cabin door was properly closed before flight, or the cabin door just popped open during flight, allowing an unsecured life vest to blow out the door and into the tail rotor blades. This resulted in the entire tail rotor assembly…Mar 26, 1986 · Substantial damage