- Date
- June 20, 1982, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Jamestown, RI
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N20303Bell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820620023149A
- Case key
- 71182
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 helicopter was being used to photograph ships. According to the pilot, it began to spin while he was in a low level hover over the water. Subsequently, the helicopter struck the water, rolled over, then sank in about 104 ft of water and was not recovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20303
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3275
- Airframe hours
- 376
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- East Coast Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- East Coast Helicopters, Inc.
- Departed
- Newport, RI
- Destination
- Newport, RI
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 3,870 total · 350 in this make and model · 35 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 30 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Temperature
- 154 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.