OpenAirDocs.org

20050327006139I

Incident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Bell 206B · LA · March 27, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
March 27, 2005 · 07:58 local
Place
LA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
ALGA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N70Q
Reported as
Bell 206B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,200 total2,292 in this make and model121 in the last 90 days
N70QRegistration cancelled Apr 13, 2010 · Bell 206BS/N 3160 · Built 1981Airframe modelBell 206BEngine modelAllison 250 SER 250HPTurbo-shaft

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 may 27, 2005, the pilot in command of N70Q, a Bell 206 experienced a minor loss of engine power during cruise flight. The power loss could not be immediately determined. The pilot in command continued, at a reduced power setting, to his destination, intracoastal city, LA, located near the Louisiana coastal area. Shortly after the emergency radio transmissions were completed, the base of operations notified and at an approximate altitude of 100 feet, the engine lost total power. The pilot in command entered an autorotation, inflated the flotation equipment at the recommended altitude and completed a successful water landing. During the landing phase or very shortly thereafter, the left windscreen sustained minor damage. The minor damage was caused by the wave action. The aircraft remained upright and continued to float. A passing shrimp vessel sighted the floating aircraft, realized the safety situation and proceeded to the aircraft position. During the rescue effort, the shrimp boat contacted the aircraft, apparently damaging the flotation equipment and causing the aircraft to topple over. The aircraft subsequently sank to the ocean bottom.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON MAY 27, 2005, THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF N70Q, A BELL 206 EXPERIENCED A MINOR LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. THE POWER LOSS COULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY DETERMINED. THE PILOT IN COMMAND CONTINUED, AT A REDUCED POWER SETTING, TO HIS DESTINATION, INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA, LOCATED NEAR THE LOUISIANA COASTAL AREA. SHORTLY AFTER THE EMERGENCY RADIO TRANSMISSIONS WERE COMPLETED, THE BASE OF OPERATIONS NOTIFIED AND AT AN APPROXIMATE ALTITUDE OF 100 FEET, THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER. THE PILOT IN COMMAND ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION, INFLATED THE FLOTATION EQUIPMENT AT THE RECOMMENDED ALTITUDE AND COMPLETED A SUCCESSFUL WATER LANDING. DURING THE LANDING PHASE OR VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE LEFT WINDSCREEN SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THE MINOR DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY THE WAVE ACTION. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED UPRIGHT AND CONTINUED TO FLOAT. A PASSING SHRIMP VESSEL SIGHTED THE FLOATING AIRCRAFT, REALIZED THE SAFETY SITUATION AND PROCEEDED TO THE AIRCRAFT POSITION. DURING THE RESCUE EFFORT, THE SHRIMP BOAT CONTACTED THE AIRCRAFT, APPARENTLY DAMAGING THE FLOTATION EQUIPMENT AND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TOPPLE OVER. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY SANK TO THE OCEAN BOTTOM.