S. Tim 151 Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

S.Timbalier 151
Tuesady, January 3, 1989 12:50 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ACFT EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE DURING A SLING LOAD PICK UP ON AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM. DURING THE AUTOROTATION, THE LEFT SKID AND FLOAT STRUCK A HANDRAIL ON THE RIG AND SEPARATED. THE ACFT IMPACTED THE WATER, NOSE LOW, AND ROLLED OVER AS A RESULT OF THE SEPARATED FLOAT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ENG FAILURE WAS A RESULT OF A 6TH STAGE COMPRESSOR WHEEL FATIGUE FAILURE. THE WHEEL FATIGUE ORIGINATED AT A CASTING INCLUSION THAT HAD NOT BEEN DETECTED DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

A COLLISION BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT AND THE PLATFORM DURING THE EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION WHICH CAUSED THE LEFT SKID AND FLOAT TO SEPARATE AND DESTABILIZED THE AUTOROTATION. THE COLLISION WAS PROBABLY UNADOIDABLE DUE TO THE MANEUVER THAT WAS BEING CONDUCTED AT THE ONSET OF THE EMERGENCY. THE EMERGENCY LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED FOLLOWING AN ENGINE FAILURE THAT WAS THE RESULT OF A TOTAL COMPRESSOR FAILURE. THE COMPRESSOR FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE SIXTH STAGE WHEEL WHICH SEPARATED. THE FAILURE WAS INITIATED DUE TO A CASTING INCLUSION IN THE WHEEL WHICH WAS NOT DETECTED DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/3/1989
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1250
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City S.TIMBALIER 151
Event State GULF OF MEXICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 00000
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport S. TIM 151
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 151
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 80
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1250 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 135
Weather Observation Facility ID 300
Elevation of weather observation facility 80
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation CST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 10000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1500
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) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 22
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 270
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 16
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 965
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 3 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1400
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 39128
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:25PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N22704
NTSB Number FTW89LA036
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
Type of Flight Plan filed Company VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BELL
Aircraft Model 206B-III
Aircraft Series Identifier 206B-III
Aircraft Serial Number 3614
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 AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Dec 18 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 45
Airframe Hours 8213
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 90808
Aircraft Owner City LAFAYETTE
Aircraft Owner State LA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 70509
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code PHM
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 Unknown
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Unknown
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Unknown
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Other Work Use
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City S.T. 151
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1245
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City S.T. 151
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 --