# Accident 19960711016639A: Bell 206B, Matagorda, TX, July 11, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 11, 1996, 06:42 local time
- Place: Matagorda, TX
- Airport: Matagorda Shore Facility Heli
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: VBVA
- Location: 28.7302° N, 95.8803° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.7302&lon=-95.8803&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1082N (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206B
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 7,944 total, 1,400 in this make and model, 77 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW96LA299](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW96LA299) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960711016639A

## Narrative

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

ENGINE FAILED IN FLIGHT AND AIRCRAFT CRASHED LANDED. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE FLEW THE HELICOPTER TO A REFUELING FACILITY AND REFUELED. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, WHILE EN ROUTE TO PICK UP PASSENGERS, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER ABOUT 50 TO 75 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. AN AUTOROTATION WAS MADE TO AN AREA OF BUSHES. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THE AIRFRAME FUEL FILTER WAS CONTAMINATED WITH WATER AND A GREEN MATERIAL. THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP FILTER WAS ALSO CONTAMINATED, AND THE FUEL CONTROL SCREEN CONTAINED SOME FOREIGN MATERIAL. SAMPLES OF FUEL WERE COLLECTED FROM FUEL FACILITIES THAT HAD BEEN USED ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, NO RELEVANT CONTAMINATION WAS FOUND. (-23) ON JULY 11, 1996, AT 0642 CDT, A BELL 206B III, N1082N, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY HORIZON HELICOPTERS, INC., ON A 14 CFR PART POSITIONING FLIGHT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR MATAGORDA, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT SUSTAINED A MINOR BACK INJURY. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM HORIZON'S MATAGORDA BASE. THE PILOT REPORTED THATHE FLEW FROM THEIR MATAGORDA BASE TO A FUELING FACILITY ABOUT A HALF MILE AWAY AND FUELED THE HELICOPTER. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE FROM THE FUELING FACILITY, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND HE INITIATED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING, AT 75 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE LOST POWER TOTALLY AND AN AUTOROTATION WAS INITIATED. THE ONLY AVAILABLE LANDING AREA HAD THICK BUSHES ABOUT THREE TO FOUR FEET TALL COVERING THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND THE MAIN ROTOR SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM FORWARD OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED THAT THE AIRFRAM FUEL FILTER AND THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP FILTER WAS CONTAMINATED WITH WATER AND A GREEN MATERIAL. THE FUEL CONTROL SCREEN ALSO HAD SOME FOREIGN MATERIAL IN IT. FUEL SAMPLES WERE TAKEN AT THE FUELING FACILITY WHERE THE HELICOPTER HAD JUST FUELED AND THE SAMPLE TAKEN AT THE FUELING NOZZLE CONTAINED NO CONTAMINATION. A SAMPLE TAKEN AT THE SUMP REVEALED ONLY MINOR FOREIGN MATERIAL. FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN AT FUELING FACILITIES WHERE THE HELICOPTER WAS FUELED AT THE DAY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT REVEALED NO CONTAMINATION. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE FOUND NO CONTAMINATION WHEN HE DRAINED THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SUMP ON THAT MORNING'S PREFLIGHT INSPECTION.

## 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 FTW96LA299](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW96LA299), Jul 11, 1996: Bell 206B (N1082N), Matagorda, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power due to fuel system contamination. A factor relating to the accident was: the lack of suitable terrain for an emergency 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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