- Date
- April 22, 1982, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cameron, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2138YBell 206L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 22, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820422010619A
- Case key
- 70114
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
N2138Y departed Cameron, LA after refueling en route to an offshore rig. Shortly after departure, while over water, the aircraft began to yaw and vibrate severely. The pilot stated that the tail rotor pedals "kicked" hard when additional power was applied. The aircraft started to spiral and tuck to the right. The pilot deployed the floats and closed the throttle in an effort to cushion the impact. Examination of the tail rotor blade revealed that the blade tip counterweight separated, causing a severe dynamic imbalance. The counterweight separation was due to debonding of the weight block and the bladeskin sometime prior to the subject flight. Examination of the tail rotor gearbox revealed evidence of fatigue fractures of the gearbox attachment stub.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2138Y
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45639
- Airframe hours
- 419
- Engine
- Allison 250-C28, 576 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Petroleum Helicipters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Petroleum Helicipters, Inc.
- Departed
- Cameron, LA
- Destination
- VE58 · Gulf Of Mexico
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 3,033 total · 196 in this make and model · 2,618 as pilot in command · 94 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 129 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N2138Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.