Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sabine Pass, Texas 77642
Friday, June 21, 1996 7:50 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The twin engine helicopter was en route to an oil platform located 90 miles south of Sabine Pass, Texas, in the Gulf of Mexico. The pilot called company dispatch and reported off Sabine at 0711 with 2.5 hours of fuel on board. The company's flight following radio log shows that the pilot made a normal position report at 0729 and reported that he was 67 miles from destination. The pilot transmitted another normal position report at 0744 and reported that he was 38 miles from destination. No other radio transmissions were received from the aircraft. According to the chief pilot, the altitude at which the helicopter would have been cruising at would most likely have been between 500 and 1,000 feet AGL. No abnormalities were discovered with the engines during detailed examinations. Tear down of the main transmission revealed that the sun gear had failed, thus resulting in the main rotor system not being driven. Structural deformations of the airframe revealed that the helicopter impacted the water vertically in a high rate of descent.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the sun gear within the main transmission resulting in the main rotor system not being driven.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/21/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 750 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | SABINE PASS |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 77642 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 730 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | H08 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 83 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 74 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1697 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 21 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1040 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 25 2001 4:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2906T |
| NTSB Number | FTW96FA265 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Mbb |
| Aircraft Model | BO-105 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | BO-105 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | S-573 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5512 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 16 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 26 |
| Airframe Hours | 10596 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | OFFSHORE LOGISTICS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 5-C |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAFAYETTE |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70505 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AIR LOGISTICS INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3921 INDUSTRIAL DRIVE |
| Operator City | NEW IBERIA |
| Operator State | LA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 70560 |
| Operator Code | ALGA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 95XS |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 711 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | HIGH ISLAND 553 |
| Destination State | GM |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 25 2001 4:05AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |