- Date
- February 29, 1992, 13:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Morgan City, LA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N92ALBell 212
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920229004579A
- Case key
- 18353
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 inflight separation of the main rotor system as results of the main rotor static stop contacting the mast for undetermined reasons.
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 ATP rated helicopter pilot experienced an inflight breakup while at cruise flight at 1,800 feet MSL. Control was lost following mast bumping and main rotor separation. The main wreckage of the helicopter was located in a heavily wooded marsh, in about 5 feet of water, resting nearly upside down. Debris and airframe components were found scattered for about 1,000 yards prior to the main wreckage. One witness observed the main rotor system separate from the airframe. The main rotor hub, with both main rotor blades still attached, was found about 200 yards from the main wreckage. The cause of the mast separation could not be determined due to the large number of critical components that could not be recovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N92AL
- Reported as
- Bell 212
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 30828
- Airframe hours
- 10,227
- Engine
- P&W PT6T-3B, 1,290 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Offshore Logistics, Inc., doing business as Air Logistics
- Registered owner
- Offshore Logistics, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 9, 1992 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- VEC · Venice, LA
- Destination
- ARA · New Iberia, 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
- 47
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 9,993 total · 955 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PTN, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.