- Date
- November 10, 1988, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- St. Thomas
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N16619Bell 206L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881110050509A
- Case key
- 32354
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The plt autorotated the helicopter into the water after a loss of power while transitioning from fwd flight to a hover. While landing with the emergency floats armed, he attempted to deploy the floats but was unable. The plt & pax evacuated. The helicopter sank. Examination revealed the electrical wires for activation of the discharge agent separated on impact, rendering the float deployment system inoperable. The compressor section of the engine sustained a contained failure. There was no evidence of foreign object ingestion, failure or malfunction of no's 1,2, or 2.5 bearings, rubbing of the rotor blades against the compressor case, or axial movement of the rotor assy. A metallurgical examination was unable to determine the event resulting in the failure of the compressor section. The operator stated that company personnel were not accomplishing the salt water contamination removal procedure recommended by the eng manufacturer.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16619
- Reported as
- Bell 206L
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45087
- Airframe hours
- 3,980
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Center Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Dorothy S Coughlin Enterprises
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1988 · 115 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
- 33
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,725 total · 1,400 in this make and model · 6,615 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- STT, 9 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.