- Date
- February 15, 1992, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- South Pelto #1
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3120XBell 206L-3
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920215005759A
- Case key
- 18443
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 inability to control the helicopter due to spatial disorientation. Factors were the fog and the pilot's failure to receive a weather briefing prior to the flight.
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 instrument rated commercial pilot encountered a fog bank while in cruise flight at 500 feet. Within seconds after entering the clouds, and turning left in an attempt to return to VMC, the pilot experienced spatial disorientation. The helicopter impacted the water about one minute later. The pilot and his passenger were rescued after floating in the water for three and one half hours. The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing prior to the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3120X
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51532
- Airframe hours
- 120
- Engine
- Allison 250C-30P, 600 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Petroleum Helicoters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Safeco Credit Company, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 3, 1992 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Eugene Island, GM
- Destination
- HUM · Houma, 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
- 33
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,117 total · 87 in this make and model · 1,902 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 68 °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.