- Date
- September 29, 1988, 11:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2246QBell 206L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880929069679A
- Case key
- 25867
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
Failure of the #1 turbine wheel. Contributing to this accident was the unreported over temperature cycles of the engine. Also contributing was the unsuitability of the landing surface from the presence of the 1/4 inch steel sheeting.
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 reported the engine failed at 25-30 feet AGL during final apch. The plt initiated an autorotation to the asphalt surface of the helicopter parking ramp. Steel plates were placed on the parking spots to prevent ramp erosion. The left front skid tube collided with one of the steel plates, fracturing the front cross tube. The nose of the helicopter pitched down and the main rotor disc flexed, severing the tail boom aft of the horizontal stabilizer. Exam of the engine revealed the no. 1 turbine wheel failed as a result of previous cycles of high temp (2300 deg f).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2246Q
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45752
- Airframe hours
- 3,282
- Engine
- Allison 250 C-28, 500 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Petroleum Helicopter Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · August 28, 1988 · 484 hours before
- Departed
- Platform Hondo, CA
- Destination
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- SBA · Santa Barbara Co.
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
- 32
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,485 total · 4,003 in this make and model · 4,196 as pilot in command · 89 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 63 °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.
Other investigations on N2246Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.