19881117051029A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206L-1 · Gulf Of Mexico, TX · November 17, 1988

Date: November 17, 1988 · 13:00 local
Place: Gulf Of Mexico, TX
Phase of flight: Pwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: GURA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N2780W
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW89LA021
Reported as: Bell 206L1
Reported engine: Allison 250C28B
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 12,151 total1,151 in this make and model151 in the last 90 days

N2780WRegistration cancelled Apr 18, 1991 · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45332 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1

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.

Loud bang and engine quit made hard auto rotation float landing. Aircraft sank on recovery effort.

As the FAA filed it

LOUD BANG AND ENGINE QUIT MADE HARD AUTO ROTATION FLOAT LANDING. AIRCRAFT SANK ON RECOVERY EFFORT.

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 FTW89LA021Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGulf-Of-Mexico (Gulf of Mexico)Engine failure for undetermined reasons and the pilot misjudging his altitude during the flare resulting in a hard landing.Nov 17, 1988 · Substantial damage