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20100610036119I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Bell 206L-3 · Port O'Conner, TX · June 10, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 10, 2010 · 10:34 local
Place
Port O'Conner, TX
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
HEEA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N108PH
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN10IA314
Reported as
Bell 206L-3
Reported engine
Allison 250-C30 series
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
9,525 total4,858 in this make and model76 in the last 90 days
N108PHRegistration cancelled Aug 16, 2010 · Bell 206L-3S/N 51334 · Built 1990Airframe modelBell 206L-3Engine modelAllison 250-C30 seriesTurbo-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.

The pilot departed Port o' connor TX. His intended destination was an oil and gas platform 50 NM offshore in the gulf of Mexico. Approximately 9 NM from his destination the pilot heard a "pop", and felt vibration. The nose of the aircraft tucked down and to the right. The pilot reacted by entering autorotation and the aircraft stabilized. The pilot noted that the tail rotor pedals had no effect so he continued his autorotation. He activated his external floats and landed the aircraft on the water. After landing, the pilot noticed the aircraft sitting low in the water. Within a few seconds the aircraft rolled to the right and inverted. The pilot and passengers exited the aircraft and were picked up within minutes by a nearby boat. When the aircraft was extracted from the water the tail-boom section was missing. The pilot stated that the tail-boom and one tail rotor blade were visible after the water landing. The pilot stated that the tail-boom was probably damaged when a large tug boat tied up to the aircraft while waiting on a crane to lift it out of the water. Examination of the apical skid float system revealed that the plumbing to the right side floats had been installed improperly causing the right, middle float to burst when triggered to inflate.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT DEPARTED PORT O' CONNOR TX. HIS INTENDED DESTINATION WAS AN OIL AND GAS PLATFORM 50 NM OFFSHORE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. APPROXIMATELY 9 NM FROM HIS DESTINATION THE PILOT HEARD A "POP", AND FELT VIBRATION. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TUCKED DOWN AND TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT REACTED BY ENTERING AUTOROTATION AND THE AIRCRAFT STABILIZED. THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR PEDALS HAD NO EFFECT SO HE CONTINUED HIS AUTOROTATION. HE ACTIVATED HIS EXTERNAL FLOATS AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE WATER. AFTER LANDING, THE PILOT NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT SITTING LOW IN THE WATER. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE RIGHT AND INVERTED. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE PICKED UP WITHIN MINUTES BY A NEARBY BOAT. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE WATER THE TAIL-BOOM SECTION WAS MISSING. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE TAIL-BOOM AND ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE WERE VISIBLE AFTER THE WATER LANDING. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE TAIL-BOOM WAS PROBABLY DAMAGED WHEN A LARGE TUG BOAT TIED UP TO THE AIRCRAFT WHILE WAITING ON A CRANE TO LIFT IT OUT OF THE WATER. EXAMINATION OF THE APICAL SKID FLOAT SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THE PLUMBING TO THE RIGHT SIDE FLOATS HAD BEEN INSTALLED IMPROPERLY CAUSING THE RIGHT, MIDDLE FLOAT TO BURST WHEN TRIGGERED TO INFLATE.

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 CEN10IA314Incident · Minor injuriesIncident investigationFinal reportGulf of MexicoA suspected failure of the tail rotor for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the failure of the emergency floats to properly inflate due to improper installment and inspection by maintenance personnel.Jun 10, 2010 · Minor damage

Other reports on N108PH · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19990913027939IAutorot Descent (Rotorcraft) · New Iberia, LA(-23) The SIC landed the aircraft hard during training while executing a practice touch-down autorotation. The main rotor blades flexed down and damaged one horizontal stabilizer winglet and both main rotor blades.Sep 13, 1999 · Minor damage