Bell 206B-3 N717NH
7 May 1991 · Houston, Texas, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 7 May 1991 at about 18:10 local time, a Bell 206B-3 registered N717NH was involved in an accident near Houston, Texas, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Houston, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 29.7702, -95.3109
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B-3
- Registration
- N717NH
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Houston → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN91FA068
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
ENGINE MOUNT DELAMINATION AND LACK LUBRICATION, CAUSING THE DRIVE SHAFT TO FAIL. POOR SERVICING OF THE HELICOPTER WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
WHILE ON A FLIGHT OVER METROPOLITAN HOUSTON TO GET AERIAL VIDEO FOOTAGE, THE MAIN DRIVE SHAFT COUPLING FAILED & THE PILOT WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN AUTOROTATION. HE TRIED TO LAND IN A PARKING LOT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REACH IT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER CRASH LANDED ON THE ROOF OF AN APARTMENT HOUSE. AN INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THE ENGINE MOUNT WAS OIL SOAKED & HAD DELAMINATED, CAUSING MISALIGNMENT OF THE DRIVE SHAFT. ALSO, A LACK OF LUBRICATION WAS NOTED IN THE MAIN DRIVE SHAFT COUPLING. OTHER MAINTENANCE DISCREPANCIES WERE ALSO NOTED DURING THE INVESTIGATION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jul 1991 | Bell 206L-1 | Lake Alpine, California, United States | Rogers Helicopters Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Nov 1991 | Bell 206BIII | Davis, California, United States | Aris Helicopter Ltd | Fatal | 3 |
| 16 Feb 1991 | Bell 206-B | Kodiak, Alaska, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 9 Mar 1991 | Bell 206B | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Kenai Air of Hawaii, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jan 1991 | Bell 206L-1 | S Tim Blk 198 | Evergreen Equity, Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 9 Jul 1991 | Bell 206B | Vero Beach, Florida, United States | Skyline Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
All 1,732 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jul 1991 | Beechcraft BE-19 | Mesquite, Texas, United States | ARI BEN Aviator | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1991 | McDonnell Douglas MD-80 | Dfw Airport, Texas, United States | American Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1991 | Robinson R22 BETA | Wylie, Texas, United States | Heli TEX Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Cessna 150A | Jewett, Texas, United States | Jack R. Horan | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Aug 1991 | Beechcraft K35 | Laredo, Texas, United States | DAN R. Blaker | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Cessna 172F | Cumby, Texas, United States | Charles D. Wood | No injuries | - |