Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Vermilion 331
Monday, October 5, 1998 9:06 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The Bell 407 collided with an Aerospatiale AS-355-F1 while both helicopters were in cruise flight at 1,000 AGL over open ocean in the Gulf of Mexico. Both aircraft were being flown single pilot and were positioning flights between offshore platforms. The pilot of the Bell initiated an autorotation to the water and was rescued. The pilot of the Aerospatiale was fatally injured during the collision/water impact sequence and his helicopter impacted the water and sank into the ocean. Physical evidence on the recovered Bell wreckage indicated that the main rotor blades of the Aerospaciale struck the nose section of the Bell, removing the windshield, chin bubble and anti-torque pedals. The Bell's direct flight course was about 265 degrees. The Aerospatiale's direct course was about 155 degrees. The Bell pilot did not see the Aerospatiale until just before impact. The Helicopter Safety Advisory Conference (HSAC) had published a Recommended Practice (RP) in 1993 for standardized vertical separation of helicopters when flying in the offshore environment. Excerpts are: 'Helicopters operating enroute to and from offshore locations, below 3,000 feet, weather permitting, should use [the following] enroute altitudes; Magnetic Heading of 0 to 179 degrees - 750 feet or 1,750 feet, or 2,750 feet, Magnetic Heading of 180 to 359 degrees - 1,250 feet or 2,250 feet.' These recommended altitudes, if used, provide a minimum of 500 feet vertical clearance. Both operators, who are participating members in HSAC, did not have the HSAC-RP No. 93.1 included in their respective operations manuals. The RP's are recommended and not mandatory.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the failure of both pilots to see and avoid each other's aircraft during cruise flight. Factors were the failure of both pilots to use a known safety advisory recommendation and the failure of both operators to implement the recommendation as a company operating procedure.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/5/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 906 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | VERMILION 331 |
| Event State | GULF OF MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 00000 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 35 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 40 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10082 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 5 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 17 2001 8:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N403PH | N5792H |
| NTSB Number | FTW99FA001A | FTW99FA001B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell | Aerospatiale |
| Aircraft Model | 407 | AS-355-F1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 407 | AS-355-F1 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 53177 | 5132 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5000 | 5600 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 16 1998 12:00AM | Sep 25 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 71 | 28 |
| Airframe Hours | 1168 | 5816 |
| ELT Installed | No | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NATIONAL CITY LEASING CORP. | TEX AIR HELICOPTERS INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 101 SOUTH FIFTH STREET | 8919 PUAL B. KOONCE |
| Aircraft Owner City | LOUISVILLE | HOUSTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 40282 | 77061 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS INC. | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 90808 | |
| Operator City | LAFAYETTE | |
| Operator State | LA | |
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | 70590 | |
| Operator Code | HEEA | TXEA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Positioning | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE | NONE |
| Departure City | VERMILION 331A | CAMERON |
| Departure State | GM | LA |
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 857 | 757 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE | NONE |
| Destination City | E. CAMERON 321A | VERMILION 370 |
| Destination State | GM | GM |
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 13 2001 4:03AM | Jun 13 2001 4:03AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |