# Incident 20100610036119I: Bell 206L-3, Port O'Conner, TX, June 10, 2010

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 10, 2010, 10:34 local time
- Place: Port O'Conner, TX
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: HEEA
- Location: 28.4460° N, 96.4201° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Port O'Connor, TX, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.4460&lon=-96.4201&mi=10
- Aircraft: N108PH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N108PH-2010-08-16) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206L-3 (registry code 1182108, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206l-3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C30 series (registry code 03015, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c30-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L-3
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C30 SER
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 9,525 total, 4,858 in this make and model, 76 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN10IA314](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10IA314) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100610036119I

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 CEN10IA314](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10IA314), Jun 10, 2010: Bell 206L-3 (N108PH), Gulf of Mexico, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: A 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…

## Other reports on N108PH (1)

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

- [Incident 19990913027939I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990913027939I), Sep 13, 1999: Bell 206L3 (N108PH), New Iberia, LA, Minor damage. (-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…

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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