- Date
- January 27, 1991, 14:36 local (20:36 UTC)
- Place
- S Tim Blk 198
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N39HCBell 206L-1
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 17, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910127002209A
- Case key
- 23246
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
For undetermined reason(s), the helicoper crashed at sea (gulf of Mexico) in an area with a low ceiling, rain, and thunderstorms.
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 an off-shore oil platform in the gulf of Mexico, en route to an on-shore location. After takeoff, the pilot received a weather briefing, which informed him of adverse conditions in the area. He did not make a mandatory 15 minute flight following contact after departure & was presumed to be missing. A search was initiated, but it was hampered by inclement weather. Neither the main wreckage nor the occupants were found. The lower flooring of the cabin section, a skid, and a main rotor blade tip were found floating in the water & were recovered. An exam of those items revealed signatures consistent with a high speed impact with the water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N39HC
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45763
- Engine
- Allison 250-C28B, 500 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Evergreen Equity, Inc, doing business as Evergreen Helicopters
- Departed
- NONE · S Tim Blk 198, GM
- Destination
- PTN · Patterson, LA
- 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
- 53
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 10,803 total · 7,050 in this make and model · 10,720 as pilot in command · 116 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.