Bell 206L-4 N172AL

Summary

On 14 February 1995 at about 21:34 local time, a Bell 206L-4 registered N172AL, operated by Offshore Logistics, Inc., was involved in an accident near East Cameron. 5 people were on board and 5 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 February 1995 at 21:34

Classification

Accident

Location

East Cameron

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 206L-4

Registration

N172AL

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Offshore Logistics, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Intracoastal

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW95FA116

5 people died.

INADVERTENT FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AFTER BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

AT 1445 CST ON 2/14/95, THE HELICOPTER TOOK OFF ON A FLIGHT FROM AN OFF-SHORE PLATFORM IN THE GULF OF MEXICO TO INTERCOASTAL CITY, LA. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT MADE SEVERAL POSITION REPORTS WITH THE LAST ONE BEING 32 MILES SOUTH OF INTERCOASTAL CITY. AT 1534, HE MADE A SERIES OF MAYDAY TRANSMISSIONS INDICATING INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). THE HELICOPTER, HOWEVER, WAS NOT CERTIFICATED FOR FLIGHT IN IMC. WHEN THE HELICOPTER DID N0T ARRIVE, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED, BUT SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS WERE HAMPERED UNTIL 2/19/95 BY FOG AND IFR CEILINGS. PIECES OF THE HELICOPTER WERE FOUND WITH INDICATIONS THAT IT HAD IMPACTED THE WATER. ALSO, THE BODIES OF 4 OCCUPANTS WERE RECOVERED, BUT 1 OCCUPANT WAS NOT FOUND AND WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN FATALLY INJURED. LOW CEILINGS AND FOG PREVAILED ALONG THE GULF OF MEXICO AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ON 11/18/94, THE PILOT HAD SATISFACTORILY COMPLETED A VFR ONLY FLIGHT CHECK, INCLUDING EMERGENCY VERTICAL HELICOPTER INSTRUMENT RECOVERY PROCEDURES. COMPANY RECORDS INDICATED HE HAD 0.20 HOUR OF INSTRUMENT HOOD TIME DURING THE PREVIOUS 6 MONTHS. BEFORE TAKEOFF, OTHER COMPANY PILOTS ADVISED THE ACCIDENT PILOT THAT WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE DETERIORATING AND VARIED FROM COMPANY MINIMUMS (500 FOOT CEILING AND 3 MILES VISIBILITY) TO OBSCURED SKIES WITH VISIBILITY LESS THAN 2 MILES IN FOG. HE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED TO OTHER PILOTS THAT WEATHER ON THE PLATFORM WAS DETERIORATING AND THAT HE WAS DEPARTING.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.