# Incident 20110827021189I: Bell 206B, Gulf Of Mexico, LA, August 27, 2011

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 27, 2011, 15:40 local time
- Place: Gulf Of Mexico, LA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: YTRA
- Aircraft: N83AL (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206B
- Reported engine: ROLLS-ROYC 250-C20B
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,887 total, 154 in this make and model, 132 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110827021189I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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