Bell B 206B III N2269V

Summary

On 19 January 1991 at about 19:40 local time, a Bell B 206B III registered N2269V, operated by Petroleum Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near So. Pass Blk 70. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 January 1991 at 19:40

Classification

Accident

Location

So. Pass Blk 70

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell B 206B III

Registration

N2269V

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Petroleum Helicopters, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Miss Canyon 194

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW91FA031

3 people died.

THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE THE RESTRICTIONS TO VISIBILITY THAT EXISTED AT THE TIME.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED ON A REVENUE FLIGHT FROM ONE OFFSHORE PLATFORM TO ANOTHER. THERE WERE NO RADIO CALLS TO INDICATE THAT THE FLIGHT HAD ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTIES. AN AIR SEARCH FOUND TWO OF THE THREE BODIES AND ASSORTED PIECES OF WRECKAGE ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE PLATFORM. NONE OF THE DRIVE TRAIN OR THE INSTRUMENTATION WAS RECOVERED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD IMPACTED THE WATER AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED IN AN UNCONTROLLED ATTITUDE. HOWEVER, THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF RECOVERED WRECKAGE PRECLUDED A DEFINITE DETERMINATION AS TO THE NATURE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WEATHER WAS CHARACTERIZED BY INDEFINITE 200 TO 400 FOOT CEILINGS, OBSCURED SKIES, AND 1 TO 1.5 MILES VISIBILITY IN LIGHT RAIN AND FOG WITH A TWO DEGREE TEMP/DEW POINT SPREAD. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE INSTRUMENT-RATED PILOT HAD RELATED TO THE CREW CHIEF THAT IF THE WEATHER BECAME TOO BAD HE WOULD TURN AROUND AND RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE PLATFORM.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.