- Date
- July 7, 1986, 10:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pacific Ocean (Pacific Ocean)
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4835ABell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 27, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860707052839A
- Case key
- 24940
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 plt was attempting to take off from the deck of a tuna boat when it contacted the side of the boat and sank in the Ocean. Post accident inspection revealed one of two nose tiedown straps had not been removed from the helicopter prior to the takeoff. The nose tiedown were normally used only after flying hours and when rough seas existed. The four side tiedown straps normally used when the helicopter was on deck were released by a mechanic just prior to the takeoff. The accident occurred in the Pacific Ocean at coordinates 10.15'N and 141.40'W, approximately 91 miles se of hilo, Hawaii.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4835A
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1833
- Airframe hours
- 5,239
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- South Seas Helicopter, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 3, 1986 · 23 hours before
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 326 in the last 90 days · 109 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.