# Accident 19961014031959A: Bell 206L3, Venice, LA, October 14, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 14, 1996, 07:20 local time
- Place: Venice, LA
- Airport: Shell Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: HEEA
- Location: 29.2692° N, 89.3496° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.2692&lon=-89.3496&mi=10
- Aircraft: N21497, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N21497-2022-12-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206L-3 (registry code 1182108, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206l-3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C30 series (registry code 03015, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c30-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L3
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C30P
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 13,967 total, 10,807 in this make and model, 198 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA016](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA016) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961014031959A

## Narrative

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

HELICOPTER HOVERING WHEN PILOT HEARD LOUD POP, EXECUTED AUTOROTATION, MAIN ROTOR FLEXED, CUT OFF TAIL BOOM. (.4)DURING TAKEOFF, APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET AGL, THE PILOT HEARD A 'BIG POP AND THE HELICOPTER WAS SHAKY AND NOISY.'  HE INITIATED A DECELERATION DUE TO THE WIRES IN FRONT OF THE HELICOPTER.  DURING THE LANDING, 'A MAIN ROTOR BLADE FLEXED DOWN AND SEVERED THE TAILBOOM.'  THROUGHOUT THE FORCED LANDING THE PILOT HAD TAIL ROTOR PEDAL CONTROL.  AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE BY THE OPERATOR REVEALED THAT FROGS HAD BEEN INGESTED.                          (-23) ON OCTOBER 14, 1996, AT 7:20 AM, CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, PILOT NIEN V. PHAN WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF FROM THE SHELL HELIPORT LOCATED AT VENICE, LOUISIANA, IN A BELL, MODEL 206-L3, N21497, OWNED BY PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS, INC. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET IN THE AIR WHEN THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS BACKFIRING. PILOT PHAN ENTERED INTO AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION, LANDING LONG ON THE HELIPAD IN ORDER TO AVOID STRIKING HIGH TENSION POWER LINES LOCATED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE FLIGHT PATH. THE AIRCRAFT'S MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM, SEVERING APPROXIMATELY A TWO-FOOT SECTI                                          ON OF THE TAIL BOOM TO INCLUDE THE VERTICAL FIN AND TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION AND TEAR DOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE HAD INGESTED SEVERAL GREEN TREE FROGS, RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER.

## 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 FTW97LA016](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA016), Oct 14, 1996: Bell 206L-3 (N21497), Venice, LA, substantial damage. Probable cause: a loss of engine power due to frogs being ingested into the engine as a result of the pilots failure to perform a thorough preflight, and the pilot's improper touchdown technique.

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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