What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On August 1, 2002, at 1540 central daylight time, a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, N25GH, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to the water following a loss of engine power near east Cameron 190, gulf of Mexico. The helicopter was registered to go helicopters inc. and operated by go helitrans of manvel, Texas. The commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 135 on-demand air taxi flight. The flight originated at west Cameron 237, gulf of Mexico, at 1530, and was en route to vermillon 410, gulf of Mexico. Preliminary information indicates that while en route to vermillon 410, the helicopter's engine lost power and the pilot initiated an autorotation. During the touch down on the water, a main rotor blade struck the tail boom separating a section of the tail rotor drive shaft, and damaging both vertical winglets. The pilot and passengers exited the helicopter and was picked up by a crew boat. The helicopter was loaded onto a barge and transported to shore, then to the operator's location in manvel, Texas. Examination of the fuel system, by FAA inspectors, revealed some debris in the main fuel tanks and discolored fuel in the line that goes to the fuel filter. Clear fuel was found in the line that goes from the fuel filter to the fuel control. The fuel control and power turbine governor were removed for further examination. (-23) on August 1, 2002 at approximately 1530 hours, the part 135 on demand carrier departed west Cameron 237 in the gulf of Mexico with the pilot and 3 passengers enroute to vermillion 410. The pilot of the Bell 206 L-1 helicopter had just taken on fuel at the west Cameron platform (with a total of 450 lbs.) And climbed to an altitude of 1500 MSL. Approximately 10 minutes into the flight, the pilot noticed a slow deceleration of the engine and attempted to troubleshoot the problem by adding power. The N1 and N2 continued to drop, and the pilot entered autorotation to the water. The pilot successfully deployed the pop-out floats and landed hard in the water, remaining upright and afloat. After securing the engine, the pilot evacuated the passengers and deployed the pop-out floats and landed hard in the water, rema ining upright and afloat. After securing the engine, the pilot evacuated the passengers and noticed the main rotor had hit the tailboom and vertical stabilizers, and approximately 3 1/2 feet of the tailrotor drive shaft and riveshaft cover was missing. There were no injuries. The helicopter was transported back the go helitrans' main base for inspection. Initial inspection revealed possible fuel contamination in the main fuel tank and fuel lines prior to the filter. The fuel, fuel control, fuel pump and governor was sent out for testing and inspection.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON AUGUST 1, 2002, AT 1540 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206L-1 HELICOPTER, N25GH, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING TO THE WATER FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR EAST CAMERON 190, GULF OF MEXICO. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO GO HELICOPTERS INC. AND OPERATED BY GO HELITRANS OF MANVEL, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A COMPANY VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135 ON-DEMAND AIR TAXI FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT WEST CAMERON 237, GULF OF MEXICO, AT 1530, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO VERMILLON 410, GULF OF MEXICO. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATES THAT WHILE EN ROUTE TO VERMILLON 410, THE HELICOPTER'S ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION. DURING THE TOUCH DOWN ON THE WATER, A MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATING A SECTION OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT, AND DAMAGING BOTH VERTICAL WINGLETS. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS EXITED THE HELICOPTER AND WAS PICKED UP BY A CREW BOAT. THE HELICOPTER WAS LOADED ONTO A BARGE AND TRANSPORTED TO SHORE, THEN TO THE OPERATOR'S LOCATION IN MANVEL, TEXAS. EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM, BY FAA INSPECTORS, REVEALED SOME DEBRIS IN THE MAIN FUEL TANKS AND DISCOLORED FUEL IN THE LINE THAT GOES TO THE FUEL FILTER. CLEAR FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE LINE THAT GOES FROM THE FUEL FILTER TO THE FUEL CONTROL. THE FUEL CONTROL AND POWER TURBINE GOVERNOR WERE REMOVED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. (-23) ON AUGUST 1, 2002 AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 HOURS, THE PART 135 ON DEMAND CARRIER DEPARTED WEST CAMERON 237 IN THE GULF OF MEXICO WITH THE PILOT AND 3 PASSENGERS ENROUTE TO VERMILLION 410. THE PILOT OF THE BELL 206 L-1 HELICOPTER HAD JUST TAKEN ON FUEL AT THE WEST CAMERON PLATFORM (WITH A TOTAL OF 450 LBS.) AND CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 1500 MSL. APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT NOTICED A SLOW DECELERATION OF THE ENGINE AND ATTEMPTED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM BY ADDING POWER. THE N1 AND N2 CONTINUED TO DROP, AND THE PILOT ENTERED AUTOROTATION TO THE WATER. THE PILOT SUCCESSFULLY DEPLOYED THE POP-OUT FLOATS AND LANDED HARD IN THE WATER, REMAINING UPRIGHT AND AFLOAT. AFTER SECURING THE ENGINE, THE PILOT EVACUATED THE PASSENGERS AND DEPLOYED THE POP-OUT FLOATS AND LANDED HARD IN THE WATER, REMA INING UPRIGHT AND AFLOAT. AFTER SECURING THE ENGINE, THE PILOT EVACUATED THE PASSENGERS AND NOTICED THE MAIN ROTOR HAD HIT THE TAILBOOM AND VERTICAL STABILIZERS, AND APPROXIMATELY 3 1/2 FEET OF THE TAILROTOR DRIVE SHAFT AND RIVESHAFT COVER WAS MISSING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS TRANSPORTED BACK THE GO HELITRANS' MAIN BASE FOR INSPECTION. INITIAL INSPECTION REVEALED POSSIBLE FUEL CONTAMINATION IN THE MAIN FUEL TANK AND FUEL LINES PRIOR TO THE FILTER. THE FUEL, FUEL CONTROL, FUEL PUMP AND GOVERNOR WAS SENT OUT FOR TESTING AND INSPECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N25GH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.