- Date
- August 21, 1982, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Port Mansfield, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N208EHBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 21, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820821040679A
- Case key
- 72290
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
The helicopter was being ferried to shore from an oil rig when the tailrotor gear box failed and separated from the aircraft. The pilot autorotated to the water. Upon water contact the helicopter rolled over. The pilot had called his skipper on the radio as he spiraled down from 1800 feet for a pickup position. He popped the floats upon landing and waited for rescue after he exited the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N208EH
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3384
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Era Helicopters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Era Helicopters Inc.
- Departed
- No. Padre Ilse, GM
- Destination
- RKP · Rockport, TX
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 4,650 total · 1,562 in this make and model · 4,650 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 205 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.