Bell 206-L-3 N71FW

Summary

On 25 April 1986 at about 22:50 local time, a Bell 206-L-3 registered N71FW was involved in an accident near Miami Shores, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

25 April 1986 at 22:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Miami Shores, Florida, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 206-L-3

Registration

N71FW

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Watson Island → Opa Locka

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

MIA86LA133

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED GENERATOR FAILURE UPON DEPARTURE FROM KEY WEST & ELECTED TO CONTINUE HIS FLT TO OPA-LOCKA, FL, MAKING TWO STOPS ENROUTE. HE NOTED THAT HIS BATTERY WAS DEAD AFTER PASSING OCEAN REEF, LANDED AT WATSON ISLAND & THEN TOOK OFF ENROUTE TO OPA LOCKA WHEN HE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER, AUTOROTATED TO A SEAWALL, LANDED HARD, COLLAPSED THE SKIDS & THE MAIN ROTOR SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM. THE ENG WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACFT & PLACED IN A TEST CELL WHERE IT WAS RUN WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT FORWARD FUEL TANK CHECK VALVE WAS LOOSE ALLOWING AIR TO BE SUCKED INTO THE FUEL SYSTEM CAUSING THE POWER LOSS EXPERIENCED BY THE PLT. THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES SECTION OF THE BELL 206 L-3 FLIGHT MANUAL STATES IF EITHER OF THE BOOST PUMPS FAIL OR THE GENERATOR FAILS YOU ARE TO LAND AS SOON AS PRACTICAL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.