Bell 206BIII N3181Y

Summary

On 26 March 1986 at about 18:25 local time, a Bell 206BIII registered N3181Y, operated by Petrolium Helicopters, Inc, was involved in an accident near Gulf of Mexico. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

26 March 1986 at 18:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Gulf of Mexico

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 206BIII

Registration

N3181Y

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Petrolium Helicopters, Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St-172 → St-26

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW86LA047

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 PILOT FAILED TO ASSURE THE CABIN DOOR WAS PROPERLY CLOSED BEFORE FLIGHT, OR THE CABIN DOOR JUST POPPED OPEN DURING FLIGHT, ALLOWING AN UNSECURED LIFE VEST TO BLOW OUT THE DOOR AND INTO THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES. THIS RESULTED IN THE ENTIRE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY DEPARTING THE HELICOPTER. A SUCCESSFUL EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION INTO THE WATER WAS CONDUCTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED NORMAL OPERATION OF THE CABIN DOOR.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.