Bell 206B N72Z
19 May 1994 · St. Petersburg, Florida, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 19 May 1994 at about 20:42 local time, a Bell 206B registered N72Z was involved in an accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:42
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
- Coordinates
- 27.8496, -82.6308
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B
- Registration
- N72Z
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Observation
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA94LA144
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER FIVE BEARING, SHAFT, OR THOMAS COUPLING FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S DELAYED RESPONSE IN CONDUCTING THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE BY NOT REDUCING THE THROTTLE TO IDLE POSITION, AND IMMEDIATELY ENTERING AUTOROTATION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was on initial takeoff climb at about 60 knots and 200 feet agl when he heard a loud noise from the vicinity of the tail section, followed by an immediate nose heavy condition. A right turn was initiated away from mangrove trees and the collective pitch was lowered. The helicopter started to turn to the right and collided with water and terrain in a nose down, right skid low attitude. Examination of the helicopter by an FAA inspector revealed the number five bearing, thomas coupling, and about 2 feet of the tail rotor driveshaft had separated and were not recovered.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Feb 1994 | Bell 206L-3 | Oro Grande, California, United States | California Highway Patrol | Unknown | - |
| 5 May 1994 | Bell 206B | Overton, Nevada, United States | US Army Corps of Engineers | Unknown | - |
| 26 Jun 1994 | Bell 206-B3 | Indian Springs, Nevada, United States | United States Air Force | Unknown | - |
| 1 Jul 1994 | Bell 206-B3 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | U.s. Forest Service | Unknown | - |
| 18 Aug 1994 | Bell 206B-III | Yreka, California, United States | US Forest Service | Unknown | - |
| 4 Jan 1994 | Bell 206B | Coolidge Dam, Arizona, United States | Southwest Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
All 1,732 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jan 1994 | Piper PA-32R-301 | Live Oak, Florida, United States | Barker, Sirios C. | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 1994 | Aerospatiale AS-350 | Lakeland, Florida, United States | Bulldog Airlines Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 1994 | Robinson R-22 | Miami, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jan 1994 | Cessna 152 | Osprey, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jan 1994 | Boeing A75N1 | Zellwood, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Jan 1994 | Piper PA-28-180 | Boynton Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |