Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
High Island, Texas 77623
Thursday, March 7, 1991 19:30 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE MISSION WAS TO LOCATE AND MARK A DOWNED HELICOPTER FLOATING INVERTED OFFSHORE. A CREWMAN WAS LOWERED BY A NYLON STRAP TO ATTACH THE MARKER BOUY. AS DARKNESS SET IN, THE CREWMAN SIGNALED TO COME BACK ABOARD. THE OTHER OBSERVER THREW THE NYLON STRAP TO THE CREWMAN ON THE FLOATING HELICOPTER. THE INBOARD END OF THE STRAP WAS ATTACHED TO A SEAT BELT ANCHOR POINT. DURING THE RETRIEVAL THE CREWMAN RELEASED HIS HOLD ON THE STRAP AND FELL INTO THE WATER. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT SEARCH ACTIVITY THE CREWMAN WAS FOUND DROWNED. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED A LOW FUEL STATE TO THE PARTICIPATING U.S.COAST GUARD HELICOPTER AND RETURNED TOWARD GALVESTON. AS HE ARRIVED OVER THE BEACH THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND AUTOROTATED TO A HARD LANDING. THE NYLON STRAP THAT HAD BEEN LEFT HANGING OUTSIDE THE HELICOPTER HAD BECOME ENTANGLED AROUND THE TAIL ROTOR SHEARING THE DRIVE SHAFT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FOR OCCURRENCE #1 - INADEQUATE SUPERVISION BY THE OPERATOR IN LAUNCHING A HAZARDOUS MISSION WITHOUT AN ADEQUATE SLING/HARNESS, THE PILOT'S POOR JUDGEMENT IN ACCEPTING AND CONTINUING THE MISSION INTO LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS, AND THE CREWMEMBER'S INADVERTENT RELEASE OF HIS HOLD OF THE NYLON STRAP. FOR OCCURRENCES #2-4 - FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT AS A RESULT OF ENTANGLEMENT OF AN UNSECURED NYLON STRAP.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/7/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1930 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | HIGH ISLAND |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 77623 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| 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 | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1200 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1219 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 44323 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N59491 |
| NTSB Number | FTW91LA048 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206B II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 206B II |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1291 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DME HELICOPTERS, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3675 CRESTWOOD PKWY 200 |
| Operator City | DULUTH |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 30136 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load |
| 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) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GLS |
| Departure City | GALVESTON |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |