- Date
- November 1, 1986, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mustang Island
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5741KBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861101080479I
- Case key
- 22216
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
Acft experienced a power loss immediately after takeoff from an offshore platform in the gulf of Mexico. The plt held collective to clear the rig and then popped the floats and autorotated to the water. The auto was successful, however, the acft was struck by a 5' wave and rolled over. Both occupants egressed without problem and the pax swam to the rig. The plt inflated his life vest and was swept away by the current and swam ashore 14 hours later. Investigation revealed that the compressor discharge pressure (pc) line was disconnected from the back of the eng fuel control. A leak or separation of the pc line would cause the fuel schedule to reduce eng speed to below flt idle. No recent maintenance had been performed on the fuel control or the line.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5741K
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3047
- Airframe hours
- 3,119
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Pumpkin Air, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 4, 1986 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- 772
- Destination
- CRP · Corpus Christi, 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
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,441 total · 4,500 in this make and model · 6,291 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRP, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.