- Date
- July 14, 1982, 07:17 local (12:17 UTC)
- Place
- Sabine, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N116ALBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 14, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820714029009A
- Case key
- 72447
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
During flight at about 500 ft AGL, the engine lost power. The pilot began an autorotative landing and made a mayday call. He autorotated to a marshy area which had 4 to 5 ft grass. The helicopter touched down hard and the main rotor blades flexed down and severed the tail boom. An investigation revealed that splines on the fuel pump drive shaft, pn 102-1416-01, had worn to a point where they no longer engaged the spline adapter. All applicable inspections had been complied with, 205 hrs prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N116AL
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 002389
- Airframe hours
- 5,033
- Engine
- Allison 250C-20B, 430 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Air Logistics
- Registered owner
- Joseph D. Murray
- Departed
- 154 · High Island, GM
- Destination
- Cameron, LA
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 13,578 total · 5,045 in this make and model · 9,689 as pilot in command · 131 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 172 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.