Bell 206L N16619

Summary

On 10 November 1988 at about 16:30 local time, a Bell 206L registered N16619, operated by Air Center Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near St. Thomas. 4 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

10 November 1988 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

St. Thomas

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 206L

Registration

N16619

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Air Center Helicopters, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA89LA024

2 people had minor injuries.

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 AUTOROTATED THE HELICOPTER INTO THE WATER AFTER A LOSS OF POWER WHILE TRANSITIONING FROM FWD FLIGHT TO A HOVER. WHILE LANDING WITH THE EMERGENCY FLOATS ARMED, HE ATTEMPTED TO DEPLOY THE FLOATS BUT WAS UNABLE. THE PLT & PAX EVACUATED. THE HELICOPTER SANK. EXAMINATION REVEALED THE ELECTRICAL WIRES FOR ACTIVATION OF THE DISCHARGE AGENT SEPARATED ON IMPACT, RENDERING THE FLOAT DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM INOPERABLE. THE COMPRESSOR SECTION OF THE ENGINE SUSTAINED A CONTAINED FAILURE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FOREIGN OBJECT INGESTION, FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF NO'S 1,2, OR 2.5 BEARINGS, RUBBING OF THE ROTOR BLADES AGAINST THE COMPRESSOR CASE, OR AXIAL MOVEMENT OF THE ROTOR ASSY. A METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE EVENT RESULTING IN THE FAILURE OF THE COMPRESSOR SECTION. THE OPERATOR STATED THAT COMPANY PERSONNEL WERE NOT ACCOMPLISHING THE SALT WATER CONTAMINATION REMOVAL PROCEDURE RECOMMENDED BY THE ENG MANUFACTURER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.