20090221001869I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell 206B · Gulf Of Mexico, US · February 21, 2009

Date: February 21, 2009 · 08:32 local
Place: Gulf Of Mexico, US
Phase of flight: Approach
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: YTRA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N9AT
Reported as: Bell 206B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,410 total2,711 in this make and model123 in the last 90 days

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) Pilot of N9AT, BHT-206-B model aircraft was making his approach to SS-154 platform in the Gulf Of Mexico when he heard a loud noise and a bang. The pilot, at 300 ft AGL initiated auto rotation and inflated his float system and landed the aircraft in the water. No injuries to the pilot, and no passengers onboard. Aircraft did not have any substantial damage. The tail rotor made contact with the water, and the sudden stoppage resulted in the number one drive shaft to shear.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT OF N9AT, BHT-206-B MODEL AIRCRAFT WAS MAKING HIS APPROACH TO SS-154 PLATFORM IN THE GULF OF MEXICO WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND A BANG. THE PILOT, AT 300 FT AGL INITIATED AUTO ROTATION AND INFLATED HIS FLOAT SYSTEM AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE WATER. NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT, AND NO PASSENGERS ONBOARD. AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE ANY SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE TAIL ROTOR MADE CONTACT WITH THE WATER, AND THE SUDDEN STOPPAGE RESULTED IN THE NUMBER ONE DRIVE SHAFT TO SHEAR.