# Accident 19990609045549A: Bell 412, Patterson, LA, June 9, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 9, 1999, 15:35 local time
- Place: Patterson, LA
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: HEEA
- Location: 29.6909° N, 91.3095° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Patterson, LA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6909&lon=-91.3095&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3893S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3893S-2003-07-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 412 (registry code 1182202, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-412) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-3 (registry code 52102, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6t-3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 412
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99LA162](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA162) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990609045549A

## Narrative

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

(-23)THE TAIL ROTOR AND TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT DURING FLIGHT OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AFTER A TAIL ROTOR BLADE FAILED. THE FLIGHT CREW EXECUTED A SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATION AND LANDED ON THE WATER WITH THE AIRCRAFT'S EMERGENCY FLOATS DEPLOYED.  THERE WAS NO DAMAGE INCURRED TO THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE LANDING.  THE PILOTS DEPLOYED A LIFE RAFT AND EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT.  THE AIRCRAFT SANK APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES AFTER THE EMERGENCY FLOATS DEFLATED AS RESULT OF THE ROUGH SEAS.

## 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 FTW99LA162](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA162), Jun 9, 1999: Bell 412 (N3893S), Eugene Is. 313, substantial damage. Probable cause: The separation of a section of the tail rotor blade, and subsequent separation of the tail rotor system, as a result of fatigue cracking due to corrosion in the tail rotor blade spar.

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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