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19970601046809A

Accident · No damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 206L-1 · Intracoastalcit, LA · June 1, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 1, 1997 · 11:25 local
Place
Intracoastalcit, LA
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
YHHA
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N2773A
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW97FA208
Reported as
Bell 206L1
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
N2773ARegistration cancelled Sep 16, 2000 · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45298Airframe 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.

(-23) On June 1, 1997, approximately 1125 central daylight time, a midair collision occurred between N115AL, a Bell 206B helicopter, registered to and operated by offshore logistics, inc., doing business as air logistics, and N2773A, a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, registered to and operated by houston helicopters, inc., near intracoastal city, Louisiana. Both helicopters were destroyed. The commercial pilot of N115AL sustained minor injuries, and the commercial pilot of N2773A was fatally injured. There were no passengers ineither helicopter. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the title 14 CFR paft 91 business flights and company VFR flight plans were filed by both pilots. N115AL departed the air logistics heliport at intracoastal city and was enroute to grand chenier, LA. N2773A departed from the abbeville municipal airport in abbeville, LA and was enroute to an offshore oil platform in east cameron block 109. (.4) N115AL, a Bell 206B helicopter, and N2773A, a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, collided in midair approximately 3 NM west of intracoastal city, Louisiana. N2773A was in cruise flight, transiting through the intracoastal city tra ffic advisory area from northeast to southwest. N115AL departed intracoastal city westbound. Radar data indicated that the angle between the flight paths was about 60 degrees. The pilot of N115AL reported that he had just leveled out at 700 feet AGL when he saw N2773A to his right at a 'slightly' lower altitude and banked hard left. A witness and physical evidence indicated that the main rotor blades of N115AL struck the tail rotor of N2773A. N2773A was not observed to take evasive action. Subsequently, N2773A impacted the ground in an uncontrolled descent, and N115AL made a forced landing in a slough and sank. Prior to departure, the pilot of N115AL communicated his intentions on the local traffic advisory frequency. There were no radio communications from N2773A on the advisory frequency, and the operator of N2773A did not include the use of traffic advisory services as a company standard operating procedure in its operations manual.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JUNE 1, 1997, APPROXIMATELY 1125 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A MIDAIR COLLISION OCCURRED BETWEEN N115AL, A BELL 206B HELICOPTER, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY OFFSHORE LOGISTICS, INC., DOING BUSINESS AS AIR LOGISTICS, AND N2773A, A BELL 206L-1 HELICOPTER, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY HOUSTON HELICOPTERS, INC., NEAR INTRACOASTAL CITY, LOUISIANA. BOTH HELICOPTERS WERE DESTROYED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT OF N115AL SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT OF N2773A WAS FATALLY INJURED. THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS INEITHER HELICOPTER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PAFT 91 BUSINESS FLIGHTS AND COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLANS WERE FILED BY BOTH PILOTS. N115AL DEPARTED THE AIR LOGISTICS HELIPORT AT INTRACOASTAL CITY AND WAS ENROUTE TO GRAND CHENIER, LA. N2773A DEPARTED FROM THE ABBEVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT IN ABBEVILLE, LA AND WAS ENROUTE TO AN OFFSHORE OIL PLATFORM IN EAST CAMERON BLOCK 109. (.4) N115AL, A BELL 206B HELICOPTER, AND N2773A, A BELL 206L-1 HELICOPTER, COLLIDED IN MIDAIR APPROXIMATELY 3 NM WEST OF INTRACOASTAL CITY, LOUISIANA. N2773A WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT, TRANSITING THROUGH THE INTRACOASTAL CITY TRA FFIC ADVISORY AREA FROM NORTHEAST TO SOUTHWEST. N115AL DEPARTED INTRACOASTAL CITY WESTBOUND. RADAR DATA INDICATED THAT THE ANGLE BETWEEN THE FLIGHT PATHS WAS ABOUT 60 DEGREES. THE PILOT OF N115AL REPORTED THAT HE HAD JUST LEVELED OUT AT 700 FEET AGL WHEN HE SAW N2773A TO HIS RIGHT AT A 'SLIGHTLY' LOWER ALTITUDE AND BANKED HARD LEFT. A WITNESS AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES OF N115AL STRUCK THE TAIL ROTOR OF N2773A. N2773A WAS NOT OBSERVED TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. SUBSEQUENTLY, N2773A IMPACTED THE GROUND IN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT, AND N115AL MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A SLOUGH AND SANK. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE PILOT OF N115AL COMMUNICATED HIS INTENTIONS ON THE LOCAL TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY. THERE WERE NO RADIO COMMUNICATIONS FROM N2773A ON THE ADVISORY FREQUENCY, AND THE OPERATOR OF N2773A DID NOT INCLUDE THE USE OF TRAFFIC ADVISORY SERVICES AS A COMPANY STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE IN ITS OPERATIONS MANUAL.

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 FTW97FA208Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportIntracoastl Cty, LAThe failure of both pilots to see and avoid each other's aircraft. Factors were the failure of the pilot of N2773A to use the available traffic advisory service and the failure of the operator of N2773A to make the use of traffic advisory services a company…Jun 1, 1997 · 2 aircraft · Destroyed

Other reports on N2773A · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19890702036799IPwr Off Run Land (Autorotation · Cameron, LAInternal engine failure on an off shore approach. Entered autorotation and landed in water. Cause undetermined.Jul 2, 1989 · Minor damage