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20110827021189I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Bell 206B · Gulf Of Mexico, LA · August 27, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
August 27, 2011 · 15:40 local
Place
Gulf Of Mexico, LA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
YTRA
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N83AL
Reported as
Bell 206B
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce 250-C20B
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,887 total154 in this make and model132 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.

Pilot departed an offshore platform with 2 passengers enroute to sabine, TX. Pilot stated that he had .9 hrs of fuel on board when he departed the platform. At approximately 25 miles from sabine, TX, the pilot stated the fuel gauge started to drop fast and his fuel pump light started to flicker. He decided to divert to sabine 10 (offshore platform). Pilot stated the fuel gauge dropped quickly and was one tick mark above zero when the fuel pump light illuminated. The aircraft shortly after yawed, followed by the engine quitting. The pilot did an autorotation to the water successfully. Once the aircraft was safely on the water and the rotor had stopped turning, the pilot and passengers exited the aircraft and entered the life rafts awaiting rescue. The pilot and passengers were rescued by the coast guard with no injuries. The aircraft was recovered and brought back to the operator's main base. Once there it was observed that the fuel tank was completely empty. Subsequent tests on the fuel gauge showed no anomilies. The operator has not run the engine as of yet due to the tail rotor being splashed in the water numerous times while floating. Once inspection is done on tail rotor and repairs or replacement, as necessary, are made, the operator will run engine to determine if any problems exist with the engine. None are expected at this time.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM WITH 2 PASSENGERS ENROUTE TO SABINE, TX. PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD .9 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD WHEN HE DEPARTED THE PLATFORM. AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES FROM SABINE, TX, THE PILOT STATED THE FUEL GAUGE STARTED TO DROP FAST AND HIS FUEL PUMP LIGHT STARTED TO FLICKER. HE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO SABINE 10 (OFFSHORE PLATFORM). PILOT STATED THE FUEL GAUGE DROPPED QUICKLY AND WAS ONE TICK MARK ABOVE ZERO WHEN THE FUEL PUMP LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE AIRCRAFT SHORTLY AFTER YAWED, FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE QUITTING. THE PILOT DID AN AUTOROTATION TO THE WATER SUCCESSFULLY. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS SAFELY ON THE WATER AND THE ROTOR HAD STOPPED TURNING, THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND ENTERED THE LIFE RAFTS AWAITING RESCUE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS WERE RESCUED BY THE COAST GUARD WITH NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AND BROUGHT BACK TO THE OPERATOR'S MAIN BASE. ONCE THERE IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY. SUBSEQUENT TESTS ON THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWED NO ANOMILIES. THE OPERATOR HAS NOT RUN THE ENGINE AS OF YET DUE TO THE TAIL ROTOR BEING SPLASHED IN THE WATER NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE FLOATING. ONCE INSPECTION IS DONE ON TAIL ROTOR AND REPAIRS OR REPLACEMENT, AS NECESSARY, ARE MADE, THE OPERATOR WILL RUN ENGINE TO DETERMINE IF ANY PROBLEMS EXIST WITH THE ENGINE. NONE ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.