19990205001139A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206B3 · Sabine Pass, TX · February 5, 1999

Date: February 5, 1999 · 18:50 local
Place: Sabine Pass, TX
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: VBVA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N907CA
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW99LA076
Reported as: Bell 206B3
Reported engine: Allison 250C20B
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,455 total650 in this make and model168 in the last 90 days

N907CARegistration cancelled May 15, 2017 · Bell 206BS/N 4130 · Built 1990 Airframe modelBell 206B Engine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

(Tty) pilot became lost in the fog, and the acft crashed into the east bay. Other circumstances are unknown. (-23) aircraft flew into fog, pilot became disoriented and impacted water. (.4) the non-instrument rated helicopter pilot lost control of the helicopter on final approach after inadvertently entering a fog bank at night. The pilot became disoriented, and the helicopter impacted the water near Sabine Pass, Texas. The pilot stated that he called a coworker located in angleton and was told the 'weather was flyable.' The pilot flew the helicopter from Sabine Pass, Texas, to angleton, where it underwent 1.5 hours of routine maintenance work. The pilot did not get a weather briefing prior to the return flight to Sabine Pass.

As the FAA filed it

(TTY) PILOT BECAME LOST IN THE FOG, AND THE ACFT CRASHED INTO THE EAST BAY. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23) AIRCRAFT FLEW INTO FOG, PILOT BECAME DISORIENTED AND IMPACTED WATER. (.4) THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED HELICOPTER PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER ON FINAL APPROACH AFTER INADVERTENTLY ENTERING A FOG BANK AT NIGHT. THE PILOT BECAME DISORIENTED, AND THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE WATER NEAR SABINE PASS, TEXAS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE CALLED A COWORKER LOCATED IN ANGLETON AND WAS TOLD THE 'WEATHER WAS FLYABLE.' THE PILOT FLEW THE HELICOPTER FROM SABINE PASS, TEXAS, TO ANGLETON, WHERE IT UNDERWENT 1.5 HOURS OF ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WORK. THE PILOT DID NOT GET A WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO THE RETURN FLIGHT TO SABINE PASS.

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 FTW99LA076Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSabine Pass, TXThe pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions and subsequent spatial disorientation. Factors were the dark night conditions, the fog, and the pilot's failure to obtain a weather briefing prior to the flight.Feb 6, 1999 · Substantial damage