- Date
- September 12, 1990, 07:10 local (12:10 UTC)
- Place
- Port O'Connor, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N882BTBell B206LI
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900912066249A
- Case key
- 23041
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
The pilot's failure to maintain proper altitude. Factors were the pilot's decision to fly into the known adverse weather and the weather/light conditions.
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 departed at dawn for a VFR flight from a coastal base en route to an offshore oil platform during IMC. The ceiling was low and rain showers were passing through the area. After the helicopter flew past the shoreline it penetrated a heavy rain shower. The pilot descended the helicopter and attempted to maintain visual contact with a light on an oil platform located in his line of sight. The right skid dipped into the water and the helicopter tumbled forward and impacted the water. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any mechanical malfunction. The passenger reported that it was dark during the departure with the light on the rig the only thing visible. He remembered the pilot flying the helicopter into the water with no warning lights or horns activated prior to impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N882BT
- Reported as
- Bell B206LI
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45716
- Airframe hours
- 5,094
- Engine
- Allison 250-C28B, 435 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Industrial Helicopters, Inc.
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 4, 1990 · 10 hours before
- Destination
- NONE · Mi 664, GM
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7,907 total · 2,300 in this make and model · 180 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 60° at 8 knots, gusting 13
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 72 °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.