- Date
- September 20, 1986, 15:03 local (19:03 UTC)
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean)
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N111GFBell 206L-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 31529
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
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 ditched in the Ocean after sustaining a flameout. After the helicopter was towed ashore on its floats the fuel system was found to contain at least 4 gals of fuel. Info contained in helicopter manual revealed all fuel was usable except about 1 gal; therefore fuel exhastion was not in evidence. An exam of the helicopter fuel system revealed foreign matter. An exam of the fuel truck that refueled the helicopter and the fuel tank storage farm where truck obtained its fuel revealed foreign matter of similar appearance. A laboratory analysis of the fuel samples from the helicopter and refueling source revealed that they were chemically the same.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N111GF
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45748
- Airframe hours
- 651
- Engine
- Allison 250-C28B, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Miami Helicopter Serv.Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 3, 1986 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · N.Bimini Is., OF
- Destination
- FLL · Ft.Lauderdale, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,832 total · 610 in this make and model · 3,607 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FLL, 13 nm away