- Date
- May 12, 1986, 17:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Pine Spring, TX
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N27785Bell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860512082049A
- Case key
- 21903
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 on a flt to a site nr guadalupe pass, an area known for erratic & gusty wnds. As the plt was on an apch to a hi meadow (elev aprx 5460'), the helicopter entered a dscnt & crashed well short of the intended lndg area. A witness rprtd the main rotor RPM slowed & the rotor blades coned prior to impact. There was evidence the helicopter impacted in a lvl attitude & at a high rate of dscnt. An inv revealed that a coupling on the eng-to-main transmission drive shaft had become disconnected. There was evidence that the male driveshaft coupling was not properly secured to the flange on the main rotor driveshaft's eng end. Eight days prior to the acdnt, an air cond sys was installed on the helicopter. This would have reqd that a drive shaft coupling be disconnected. There was evidence that the self locking nuts were reused when the coupling was reconnected.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N27785
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2800
- Airframe hours
- 2,415
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Lone Star Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · April 28, 1986 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- Pecos, 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
- 54
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,400 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 5,230 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 16 knots, gusting 34
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.