Bell 206L-1 N272M

Summary

On 6 June 2006 at about 12:55 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N272M was involved in an incident near South Pass 57, United States. 4 people were on board. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 June 2006 at 12:55

Classification

Incident

Location

South Pass 57, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 206L-1

Registration

N272M

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gulf of Mexico → Gulf of Mexico

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW06IA151

Injuries not recorded.

The passenger's failure to follow procedures associated with operations in the vicinity of the helicopter and his failure to see/avoid the tail rotor of the helicopter.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter departed its company base for an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, where it was scheduled to pick up three passengers with the intent of transporting them around on daily platform checks. The pilot asked his passengers if they had any questions on aircraft safety. He also said he had briefed and flown with these passengers before, and that the passengers indicated that they had no questions regarding safety or emergency equipment. The pilot landed on the next platform's helideck with the nose of the helicopter into the wind and towards the northeast stairs. With the helicopter idling, two of the passengers exited the helicopter and proceeded down the stairs located on the northeast side. The oil platform's helideck is a 40 foot by 40 foot landing area with two stairways, one located on the northeast side and the another stairway on the southwest side. After approximately 5 minutes, one of the passengers reappeared from the northeast stairway and approached the helicopter from the front. The remaining passenger then entered the helideck from the southwest stairway, approached the helicopter from the rear and walked into the idling helicopter's tail-rotor.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.