FTW97FA208

N115AL, a Bell 206B helicopter, and N2773A, a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, collided in midair approximately 3 nm west of Intracoastal City, Louisiana. N2773A was in cruise flight, transiting through the Intracoastal City traffic advisory area from northeast to southwest. N115AL departed Intracoastal City westbound. Radar data indicated that the angle between the flight paths was about 60 degrees. The pilot of N115AL reported that he had just leveled out at 700 feet agl when he saw N2773A to his right at a 'slightly' lower altitude and banked hard left. A witness and physical evidence indicated that the main rotor blades of N115AL struck the tail rotor of N2773A. N2773A was not observed to take evasive action. Subsequently, N2773A impacted the ground in an uncontrolled descent, and N115AL made a forced landing in a slough and sank. Prior to departure, the pilot of N115AL communicated his intentions on the local traffic advisory frequency. There were no radio communications from N2773A on the advisory frequency, and the operator of N2773A did not include the use of traffic advisory services as a company standard operating procedure in its operations manual.

N115AL, a Bell 206B helicopter, and N2773A, a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, collided in midair approximately 3 nm west of Intracoastal City, Louisiana. N2773A was in cruise flight, transiting through the Intracoastal City traffic advisory area from northeast to southwest. N115AL departed Intracoastal City westbound. Radar data indicated that the angle between the flight paths was about 60 degrees. The pilot of N115AL reported that he had just leveled out at 700 feet agl when he saw N2773A to his right at a 'slightly' lower altitude and banked hard left. A witness and physical evidence indicated that the main rotor blades of N115AL struck the tail rotor of N2773A. N2773A was not observed to take evasive action. Subsequently, N2773A impacted the ground in an uncontrolled descent, and N115AL made a forced landing in a slough and sank. Prior to departure, the pilot of N115AL communicated his intentions on the local traffic advisory frequency. There were no radio communications from N2773A on the advisory frequency, and the operator of N2773A did not include the use of traffic advisory services as a company standard operating procedure in its operations manual.

See narrative for FTW97FA208A.

History of flights

On June 1, 1997, approximately 1125 central daylight time, a midair collision occurred between N115AL, a Bell 206B helicopter, registered to and operated by Offshore Logistics, Inc., doing business as Air Logistics, and N2773A, a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, registered to and operated by Houston Helicopters, Inc., approximately 3 nautical miles west of Intracoastal City, Louisiana. N115AL sustained substantial damage, and N2773A was destroyed. The commercial pilot of N115AL sustained minor injuries, and the commercial pilot of N2773A was fatally injured. There were no passengers in either helicopter. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 positioning flights and company VFR flight plans were filed by both pilots. N115AL departed the Air Logistics Heliport at Intracoastal City and was en route to Grand Chenier, Louisiana. N2773A departed from the Abbeville Municipal Airport in Abbeville, Louisiana, and was en route to an offshore oil platform in East Cameron Block 109.

During an interview conducted by the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC), the pilot of N115AL reported that he departed Intracoastal City at 1120 westbound towards Grand Chenier. He climbed to 700 feet agl, leveled off, set cruise power, and scanned the instruments. The pilot then saw "the nose and left side of a red helicopter" to his right and at a "slightly lower altitude." He rolled his helicopter to the left and was in a "40 to 45 degree" left bank when he felt the impact. The pilot's next recollection was that his helicopter was in a descent on an easterly heading and "shaking violently." His helicopter touched down in the water, rolled over and sank. He was able to free himself from the helicopter and swim to the surface where he was picked up by a man in a boat.

Three witnesses to the collision reported conflicting information concerning the flight paths of the two helicopters. During an interview conducted by the IIC and in a written statement, the witness who picked up the pilot of N115AL reported that he was westbound in his boat in the slough north of the Leland Bowman Lock when he observed a red helicopter (N2773A) overhead and to his right traveling "roughly westbound." The red helicopter "appeared to be climbing slowly." He then noticed a second blue helicopter (N115AL) "slightly north of and slightly higher than the first" helicopter; the blue helicopter was also traveling westbound "but on a course heading that would intersect the red helicopter."

According to the witness, the pilot of the blue helicopter attempted to avoid the collision "by pitching the aircraft up and simultaneously banking to the right very steeply." The witness then observed the main rotor blades of the blue helicopter impact the tail rotor of the red helicopter. The red helicopter's tail rotor shattered "with visible debris and a loud explosion," and the tailboom "folded downward and separated from the fuselage." The red helicopter "pitched over fully inverted" and impacted in the trees on the north bank of the slough.

Following the collision, the witness observed that the blue helicopter had leveled out facing south and "appeared to be translating, or moving sideways," to the right while "yawing to the left." It moved out over the water and descended "rapidly in a controlled manner to land in the water." As the blue helicopter passed his boat, the witness "observed it shuddering violently and small pieces of debris falling off."

Two crewmen on a tugboat that had "just" passed through the Leland Bowman Lock eastbound also witnessed the midair collision and were interviewed by telephone and provided written statements to the IIC. One of the crewmen stated that the red helicopter (N2773A) was westbound and the blue helicopter (N115AL) was eastbound. The other crewman stated that the red helicopter was westbound and the blue helicopter was southbound. Both crewmen reported that immediately prior to the collision, the nose of the blue helicopter went up "like it was trying to stop."

Personnel information

The pilot of N115AL held a commercial pilot certificate with helicopter, single and multiengine land airplane, and instrument ratings. He successfully completed the competency check required by Title 14 CFR Part 135.293(b) in a Bell 206L-1 helicopter on April 14, 1997. According to FAA records, he held a first class medical certificate dated July 18, 1996, with the restriction, "must wear corrective lenses." The pilot reported that he was wearing prescription sunglasses at the time of the collision. He had a total flight time of 2,345 hours of which 1,395 hours were in helicopters.

The pilot of N2773A held a commercial pilot certificate with helicopter, single and multiengine land airplane, and instrument ratings. He successfully completed the competency check required by Part 135.293(b) in a Bell 206B helicopter on February 20, 1997. According to FAA records, he held a first class medical certificate dated March 3, 1997, with the restriction, "must wear corrective lenses." It could not be determined if the pilot was wearing his glasses at the time of the collision. He had a total flight time of approximately 11,000 hours.

Aircraft information

N115AL, a Bell 206B, was manufactured in April of 1978. At the time of the accident, the helicopter had accumulated 18,943 hours of flight time. It was painted blue with white trim markings and had an anti-collision light installed on the top of the vertical fin and two landing lights, one facing down and one facing forward, installed in the nose. During examination of the wreckage, the switch for the anti-collision light was found in the "ON" position, and the switch for the landing lights was found in the "BOTH" position.

N2773A, a Bell 206L-1, was manufactured in August of 1979. At the time of the accident, the helicopter had accumulated 7,310 hours of flight time. It was painted red with white and black trim markings and had an anti-collision light installed on the top of the vertical fin and two landing lights, one facing down and one facing forward, installed in the nose. During examination of the wreckage, the light switch positions could not be determined due to the extent of impact damage.

Meterological information

At 1150, the reported weather conditions at Intracoastal City were wind from 330 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 7 statute miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet, temperature 77 degrees Fahrenheit, dewpoint 57 degrees Fahrenheit, and altimeter setting 29.90 inches of Hg.

At the time of the accident, the position of the sun at Abbeville, Louisiana, located approximately 12 nautical miles north northeast of the accident site, was 103 degrees (true) in azimuth and 66 degrees in elevation.

Communications

During examination of the wreckage of N115AL, the digital display of the single communications radio, a King KY-196A, precluded determination of the frequency selected. Review of Air Logistics's radio log for June 1, 1997, indicated that the pilot of N115AL reported departing Intracoastal City en route to Grand Chenier at 1118.

Examination of the wreckage of N2773A revealed that the helicopter's single communications radio, a King KX170B, was tuned to a frequency of 129.45. The Director of Operations of Houston Helicopters stated that 129.45 was a company frequency used for flight following. A review of Houston Helicopters's radio log for June 1, 1997, indicated that the pilot of N2773A reported departing Abbeville en route to East Cameron 109 at 1119.

The accident occurred approximately 3 nautical miles west of the Petroleum Helicopters Heliport in Intracoastal City. Petroleum Helicopters (PHI) operates a radio base station at this heliport with a frequency of 122.85. The station provides local (within 10 nautical miles of the heliport) traffic advisories to participating VFR aircraft.

Acco