- Date
- October 5, 1985, 09:20 local (13:20 UTC)
- Place
- Islamorada, FL
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N60CBell 206L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851005054749A
- Case key
- 31532
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
Aircraft was ditched in the atlantic ocean after loss of engine power. Post crash inspection of the engine after recovery from the ocean revealed thje pc or compressor pressure air line had failed at a 'b' nut at the compressor schroll. With this line failed the engine would not operate above idle speed. Metallurgical examination of the failed line revealed it failed due to fatigue which was caused by the line being misaligned during installation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N60C
- Reported as
- Bell 206L
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45102
- Airframe hours
- 3,571
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Tropical Helicopter Airways
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 16, 1985 · 91 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,799 total · 704 in this make and model · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EYW, 70 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.