Bell 206L-1 N1072S

Summary

On 21 December 1988 at about 02:00 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N1072S was involved in an accident near Oakland, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 December 1988 at 02:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Oakland, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 206L-1

Registration

N1072S

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Hunter's Point

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX89LA073

1 person died.

PILOTS INTENTIONAL FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITITIONS FROM WHICH HE INADVERTENTLY DESCENDED INTO THE WATER AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING; LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT FLYING EXPERIENCE; OVERCONFIDENT IN HIS OWN ABILITY TO CONDUCT A SAFE FLIGHT IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT DESCENDED INTO THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA WHILE ON A NIGHT VISUAL FLIGHT FROM OAKLAND TO SAN FRANCISCO. THE WEATHER WAS INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH VISIBILITY BETWEEN ONE TO FOUR MILES WITH MODERATE RAIN SHOWERS AND FOG. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RADIO SAN FRANCISCO TOWER BUT WAS ADVISED HE WAS STILL BROADCASTING ON THE OAKLAND TOWER FREQUENCY. THE PILOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE ADVICE AND WAS NOT HEARD FROM AGAIN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE BAY AFTER EXPOSURE TO SALT WATER. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PLT WAS NOT FOUND. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOT HAD LITTLE RECENT INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.