- Date
- April 13, 2011, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Venice, LA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N887TBell 206
- Defining event
- Taxi: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Baton Rouge FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110413007549A
- Case key
- 78951
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper use of the collective and cyclic control during taxi operations, which induced a dynamic rollover.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was water-taxiing a fixed-float equipped helicopter in a right sideways direction when the helicopter rolled to the right, impacted the water, rolled inverted, and sank. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was able to exit the inverted cockpit, inflate his life vest and swim to shore. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system, tail rotor, and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the helicopter. The characteristics displayed by the helicopter were indicative of it encountering a dynamic rollover.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the fixed-float equipped helicopter reported he was water-taxiing in a right sideways direction when the helicopter rolled to the right, impacted the water, rolled inverted, and submerged. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was able to exit the inverted cockpit, inflate his life vest and swim to shore. The impact caused substantial damage to the main rotor system, tail rotor, and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the helicopter. The helicopter's tendency to continue rolling when the critical angle is exceeded, as when one skid is caught on the surface, and the helicopter pivots around that point, is dynamic rollover.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N887T
- Reported as
- Bell 206 (B)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2219
- Airframe hours
- 8,335
- Engine
- Allison 250, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- El Paso Cgp LLC
- Registered owner
- El Paso Cgp LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 21, 2011 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- HUM · Houma, LA
- Destination
- Venice, LA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 26, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 9,500 total · 7,000 in this make and model · 9,300 as pilot in command · 177 in the last 90 days · 47 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KBVE, 22 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.