- Date
- April 9, 1992, 12:35 local (17:35 UTC)
- Place
- Venice, LA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 2 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6610LBell 206L-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920409062739A
- Case key
- 18357
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 incapacitation due to food poisoning.
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
A helicopter pilot with 4 passengers aboard was en route to an offshore platform when he became ill. While descending to make a precautionary landing on the water, he lost consciousness and lost control of the helicopter. Food poisoning was caused by his ingestion of some day old fish he had prepared the previous night for dinner.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6610L
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51423
- Airframe hours
- 1,556
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30P, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Petroleum Helicopters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Petroleum Helicopters Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · March 22, 1992 · 66 hours before
- Destination
- Main Pass 306, 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 9,555 total · 2,180 in this make and model · 8,816 as pilot in command · 174 in the last 90 days · 41 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 7R1, 12 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.