# Incident 19951126045539I: Bell 206L1, Morgan City, LA, November 26, 1995

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 26, 1995, 09:27 local time
- Place: Morgan City, LA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: HEEA
- Location: 29.7103° N, 91.1915° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Morgan City, LA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.7103&lon=-91.1915&mi=10
- Aircraft: N21240 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L1
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C28B
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 10,983 total, 4,380 in this make and model, 140 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19951126045539I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: ON NOVEMBER 26, 1995, AT 0927, BELL HELICOPTER MODEL 206L-1, OPERATED BY PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS, INC. (PHI), WAS ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF FROM THE PHI BASE IN AMELIA, LOUISIANA (7R3), UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) WHEN THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE FOLLOWED BY A HIGH PITCH SQUEAL EMANATING FROM THE ENGINE. PILOT ROBERT F. LAUNDER THEN CIRCLED THE FIELD AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT THE PHI BASE. AFTER LANDING, MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WERE DISPATCHED TO THE AIRCRAFT FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND FOUND THAT THE N2 TURBINE HAD SEIZED AND THAT THERE WAS A LARGE QUANTITY OF METALLIC CONTAMINATION ON THE MAGNETIC CHIP PLUGS. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE ALLISON ENGINE, MODEL 250-C28, REVEALED FAILURE OF THE THIRD STAGE TURBINE WHEEL (PART NO. 23001977). REVIEW OF PILOT ROBERT F. LAUNDER'S RECORDS REVEALED THAT HE WAS PROPERLY CERTIFICATED FOR THE VFR FLIGHT HE WAS CONDUCTING IN ACCORDANCE WITH PHI'S MANUAL. THERE WAS NO FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR THE ONE PASSENGER DURING THE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING.

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.

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