# Accident 19981115041169A: Bell 206B, Matagorda, TX, November 15, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 15, 1998, 09:45 local time
- Place: Matagorda, TX
- Airport: Gulf Of Mexico
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Vertical (Helicopter Only)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: IIFA
- Location: 28.6965° N, 95.9666° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Matagorda, TX, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.6965&lon=-95.9666&mi=10
- Aircraft: N21466, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N21466-2013-11-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206B (registry code 1181511, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250 SER 250HP (registry code 03002, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-ser-250hp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206B
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 10,771 total, 7,100 in this make and model, 185 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA026) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981115041169A

## Narrative

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

(.19)ON NOVEMBER 15, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 0945 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BELL 206B HELICOPTER, N21466, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF FROM AN OIL PLATFORM, MATAGORDA 713, 35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ROCKPORT, TEXAS. THE COMMERICAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, WAS NOT INJURED.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY INDUSTRIAL HELICOPTERS INC., OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 POSITIONING FLIGHT FOR WHICH NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.  ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE PILOT TIED THE HELICOPTER TO THE PLATFORM DUE TO PREVAILING 20 TO 25 KNOT WIND CONDITIONS.  LATER, WHEN THE PILOT DECIDED TO FLY TO ANOTHER PLATFORM, HE TRIED TO TAKEOFF WHILE STILL TIED DOWN TO THE PLATFORM.  SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE PLATFORM.  EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY INDUSTRIAL HELICOPTER PERSONNEL REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.  THE MAST WAS BROKEN OFF AND PART OF THE TAIL BOOM WAS CHOPPED OFF DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE. (.4) DURING TAKEOFF FROM AN OFFSHORE OIL PLATFORM, THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE PLATFORM. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE HELICOPTER'S  FRONT TWO SKID TIE DOWN STRAPS WERE NOT REMOVED DURING PREFLIGHT. (-23) 8020-23 SAME AS .19.

## 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 FTW99LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA026), Nov 15, 1998: Bell 206B (N21466), Matagorda 713, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's loss of control due to his failure to untie ground straps. A factor was his inadequate preflight inspection.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.