- Date
- January 19, 1991, 13:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- So. Pass Blk 70
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2269VBell B 206B III
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 10, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910119000779A
- Case key
- 23244
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 loss of control of the aircraft for undetermined reasons shortly after departure. Factors in the accident were the restrictions to visibility that existed at the time.
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 aircraft disappeared on a revenue flight from one offshore platform to another. There were no radio calls to indicate that the flight had encountered difficulties. An air search found two of the three bodies and assorted pieces of wreckage about two miles from the departure platform. None of the drive train or the instrumentation was recovered. Examination of the wreckage indicated that the aircraft had impacted the water at a high rate of speed in an uncontrolled attitude. However, the limited amount of recovered wreckage precluded a definite determination as to the nature of the accident. The weather was characterized by indefinite 200 to 400 foot ceilings, obscured skies, and 1 to 1.5 miles visibility in light rain and fog with a two degree temp/dew point spread. Prior to departure, the instrument-rated pilot had related to the crew chief that if the weather became too bad he would turn around and return to the departure platform.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2269V
- Reported as
- Bell B 206B III
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3609
- Airframe hours
- 7,993
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20J, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Petroleum Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · September 22, 1990 · 245 hours before
- Destination
- NONE · Miss Canyon 194, GM
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,476 total · 896 in this make and model · 2,369 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 55 °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.