- Date
- October 16, 1986, 10:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lompoc, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3182VBell 206B-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861016049189A
- Case key
- 25354
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 helipad deck at the stern of the barge was covered with a loosely secured rope net and witnesses reported that as the helicopter lifted up to a hover the net came up 'caught on the rear of the left skid.' The acft was seen to hover for a moment with the net tangled in the left skid, then the net 'suddenly let go.' The acft was seen to 'pitch nose up' and bank violently left into a crane and a davit before it fell overboard and sank. According to a surviving passenger seated next to the pilot, after the helicopter hovered for a moment the pilot leaned over and asked 'are we hung up' just before the helicopter banked left and collided with the structures. Both of the helicopter skids and other wreckage was found caught on the davit. Examination of the skids revealed strands of the rope material caught in between the bolt head and skid flange for the left ground handling bolt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3182V
- Reported as
- Bell 206B-3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3783
- Airframe hours
- 1,548
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20J, 370 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Petroleum Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Petroleum Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · September 7, 1986 · 54 hours before
- Destination
- SBA · Goleta, CA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 12,080 total · 115 in this make and model · 11,051 as pilot in command · 106 in the last 90 days · 52 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 2 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.