- Date
- August 18, 1988, 11:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Pearland, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N16962Bell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880818035359A
- Case key
- 22676
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 at 300 feet AGL, making an approach after a maintenance test flight, when the engine overtemped and engine power was lost. During the autorotation landing, the helicopter touched down hard. The acft eng began to decelerate prior to autorotation when the eng temp rose to 1000 degrees. A flare was initiated to slow the forward speed and collective pitch was applied to cushion the landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16962
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 236Z
- Airframe hours
- 5,871
- Engine
- Allison A250-C20B, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Houston Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Houston Helicopter Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- Houston Helicopter
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
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,780 total · 1,371 in this make and model · 4,641 as pilot in command · 132 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 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 N16962 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.