- Date
- September 17, 1985, 12:04 local (19:04 UTC)
- Place
- Pacific Ocean (Pacific Ocean)
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2160LBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 24849
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 experienced a loss of pwr within 10 minutes after takeoff from a fishing vessel. The helicopter was ditched in the Ocean at coordinates 11.25'N and 103.37'W. Examination of fuel samples from the fishing vessel revealed both upper and lower fuel filters were heavily contaminated with water and other foreign material. Rough seas were reported for the previous three days.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2160L
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2182
- Airframe hours
- 2,024
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Caribbean Marina Serv. Inc.
- Registered owner
- South Seas Helicopter Co. Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 20, 1985 · 48 hours before
- Departed
- Fishing Vessel
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 13,630 total · 11,500 in this make and model · 13,430 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 48 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F