# Accident 20221215013849A: Bell 206-L4, Gulf Of Mexico, LA, December 15, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 15, 2022, 08:30 local time
- Place: Gulf Of Mexico, LA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: YTRA
- Location: 29.1486° N, 91.5707° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.1486&lon=-91.5707&mi=10
- Aircraft: N414RL, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N414RL-2023-11-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206-L4 (registry code 1182110, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206-l4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C30 series (registry code 03015, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c30-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206-L4
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 3
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,572 total, 252 in this make and model, 137 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN23LA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA064) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20221215013849A

## Narrative

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

ON 12/15/2022 THE BATON ROUGE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE WAS MADE AWARE OF AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT IN THE SHIP SHOAL AERA OF THE GULF OF MEXICO, INVOLVING A BELL 206 L4 HELICOPTER OWNED AND OPERATED BY BROUSSARD, LA BASED 135 ROTORCRAFT LEASING CO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE INITIAL INFORMATION PROVIDED WAS THREE SOULS ON BOARD, ALL HAD BEEN RESCUED, AND PLANS WERE BEING MADE TO RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE WATER.

12/16/2022-12/21/2022. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BEGAN TO SHARE INFORMATION (PHOTOS OF HELICOPTER, OFFSHORE PLATFORM, AND PILOT INFORMATION) FOLLOWING THE DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. IT WAS DETERMINED THE ACCIDENT INVOLVED A BELL 206 L-4^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ATTEMPTING TO DEPART OFFSHORE PLATFORM SHIP SHOAL 150C. THE COMPANY STATED THEY HAD SPOKEN TO THE PILOT AND HAD ADVISED THEM THAT UPON TAKEOFF HE ENCOUNTERED UNEXPECTED WINDS THAT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DRIFT AFT AND TO THE RIGHT, IT WAS AT THIS POINT HE STATED HE FELT THE AIRCRAFT BEGIN ROLLING UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE RIGHT CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FALL FROM THE PLATFORM AND CRASH INVERTED INTO THE WATER BELOW. HE GOES ON TO STATE THAT BEFORE CONTACT HE WAS ABLE TO DEPLOY THE EMERGENCY FLOATS ATTACHED TO THE SKIDS OF THE AIRCRAFT WHICH ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO STAY AFLOAT AND ALL OCCUPANTS TO EGRESS AFTER IMPACT.

WEATHER INFORMATION

WINDS 360 15-20 KNOTS GUST TO 30 VFR

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ALONG WITH BSEE PROVIDED THE FAA WITH PHOTOS SHOWING THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE TO THE OFFSHORE PLATFORM. THE PHOTOS SHOWED THE PLATFORMS HELIDECK SAFETY SKIRTING HAD RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE ON SIDE THE AIRCRAFT FELL FROM (SOUTH SIDE) WITH THREE PANELS OF SAFETY SKIRTING COMPLETELY MISSING FROM THE PLATFORM. THE PHOTOS ALSO SHOWED HELIDECK PERIMETER LIGHT DAMAGE ALONG WITH CONTACT SKID MARKS ON THE SURFACE OF THE HELIDECK LOCATED ON THE SAME SIDE THE AIRCRAFT FELL FROM.

12/21/2022. THE BATON ROUGE FSDO VISITED THE OPERATOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (LOCATION OF RECOVERED HELICOPTER). A MEETING WAS HELD WITH COMPANY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, CHIEF PILOT, DIRECTOR OF MAINTENACE, DIRECTOR OF SAFETY, AND INSTRUCTOR PILOT WHO HAD COMPLETED QUALIFICATION CHECKS (.293 .299) FOR THE PIC INVOLVED. THE TRAINING RECORDS WERE PROVIDED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THE AIRMAN HAD BEEN WORKING FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FOR A LITTLE OVER 6 MONTHS AND HAD BEEN QUALIFIED TO FLY THE BELL 407 AND BELL 206 AIRCRAFT. FURTHER REVIEW OF TRAINING RECORDS SHOWED HE HAD COMPLETED ALL REQUIRED PART 135 TRAINING AND CHECKS, NOTES IN 407 TRAINING RECORDS INDICATED UNSATIFACTORY MANUVERS THE PILOT NEEDED RETRAINING ON, PINNICALE OR PLATFORM AND HOVER MANUVERS (HOVERING TO LOW AND WITH AFT DRIFT). AN IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION WAS HELD WITH COMPANY OFFICALS. IN THEIR REVIEW OF ALL EVIDENCE, THEY BELIEVE THE PILOT MADE HIS APPROACH TO THE PLATFORM FROM THE SOUTH WITH A HEADING OF ABOUT 360 DEGREES TO PLACE THE WIND OFF THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT, ONCE THE APPROACH HAD BEEN COMPLETED THE PILOT TERMINATED TO A HOVER AND TURNED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT ABOUT 45 DGREES TO THE RIGHT IN AN ATTEMPT THE PUT THE STAIRS OF THE PLATFORM AWAY FROM THE TAIL ROTOR AND SAT THE HELICOPTER DOWN WITH THE REAR SKID ABOUT 3 FEET FROM EDGE OF THE HELIDECK. IT WAS AT THIS POINT ONE OF THE THREE PASSENGERS EXITED THE HELICOPTER. WHEN THE PASSENGER WAS CLEAR THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LIFT THE HELICOPTER BACK INTO A HOVER AND PREPARE FOR DEPARTURE. THE COMPANY BELIEVES IT WAS AT THIS POINT THE PILOT FAILED TO CORRECT FOR THE ENCOUNTERED STRONG GUSTY WINDS WHICH CAUSED THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER TO LIFT FROM THE PLATFORM FIRST AND BEGIN TO DRIFT AFT, BECAUSE OF THE POSITION OF THE HELICOPTER (TURNED 45 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT) AND THE RIGHT REAR PORTION OF THE SKID BEING THE CLOSEST TO THE EDGE THE COMPANY BELIEVED THIS IS WHERE THE RIGHT REAR PORTION OF THE SKID DRUG THE HELIDECK (CAUSING THE SCRAPES NOTED IN THE PICTURES) AND CONTACTED THE HELIDECK PERIMETER LIGHT, CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO ENCOUNTER DYNAMIC ROLL-OVER WHICH THE PILOT COULD NOT RECOVER FROM. INSPECTION OF RIGHT REAR PORTION OF SKID DID REVEAL IMPACT.

## 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 CEN23LA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA064), Dec 15, 2022: Bell 206-L4 (N414RL), Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of Mexico), substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper takeoff technique that allowed the helicopter skid to drift into a helideck light, resulting in a dynamic rollover.

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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