- Date
- July 11, 1989, 14:52 local (19:52 UTC)
- Place
- Galveston, TX
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19890711021852A19890711021851A
- Case key
- 22778
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of both pilots to see-and-avoid the other aircraft (inadequate visual lookout).
Failure of both pilots to see-and-avoid the other aircraft (inadequate visual lookout).
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
An aerospatiale AS-350-D, N3595B, was in cruise flt & was transiting thru the edge of a control zone (no twr operg) at 1200 ft MSL from sw to NE, after the plt had communicated his position/direction of flt on UNICOM freq. Also, the plt of bell 206L-1, N1082H, had communicated his departure direction from the coastal arpt, as he was climbing to his cruise altitude on a southeasterly heading. Subsequently, the two helicopters converged & a midair collision occurred aprx 1.5 mi from the coastline over the gulf of Mexico. Both helicopters descended uncontrolled into the gulf waters. The aerospatiale pilot's vision was restricted downward & left by the cockpit console. The bell pilot's vision was restricted upward & to the right by the door frame. The angle between the flt paths was about 105 degs.
An aerospatiale AS-350-D, N3595B, was in cruise flt & was transiting thru the edge of a control zone (no twr operg) at 1200 ft MSL from sw to NE, after the plt had communicated his position/direction of flt on UNICOM freq. Also, the plt of bell 206L-1, N1082H, had communicated his departure direction from the coastal arpt, as he was climbing to his cruise altitude on a southeasterly heading. Subsequently, the two helicopters converged & a midair collision occurred aprx 1.5 mi from the coastline over the gulf of Mexico. Both helicopters descended uncontrolled into the gulf waters. The aerospatiale pilot's vision was restricted downward & left by the cockpit console. The bell pilot's vision was restricted upward & to the right by the door frame. The angle between the flt paths was about 105 degs.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N3595B
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS-350-D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1072
- Airframe hours
- 6,874
- Engine
- Lycoming LTS-101, 615 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 9, 1989 · 58 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Mt 606, GM
- Destination
- SBI · Sabine Pass, TX
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- GLS · Scholes Fld
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.
- Registration
- N1082H
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45403
- Airframe hours
- 8,941
- Engine
- Allison 250-C28, 500 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Offshore Logistics, doing business as Air Logistics
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 29, 1989 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- GLS · Galveston, TX
- Destination
- NONE · Hi 582, GM
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- GLS · Scholes Fld
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N3595B
- Age
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,710 total · 545 in this make and model · 2,657 as pilot in command · 131 in the last 90 days · 39 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N1082H
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 6,894 total · 4,862 in this make and model · 6,044 as pilot in command · 135 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GLS, 2 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.