Bell 206-L4 accident near GM, May 28, 2012
On May 28, 2012 at about 9:10 pm local time, a Bell 206-L4 (helicopter), registered N7077F, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near GM (None airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from an obstacle while landing on an obstructed helipad, which resulted in a collision and loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the helipad owner to mark the helipad closed and the failure of the flight operator to report the known hazard and issue a notice to airman.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2012 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- , GM · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206-L4 · all 206-L4s on the register
- Registration
- N7077F · no longer on the register · serial 52038
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was attempting to land his single-engine helicopter on a fixed production platform helipad when the main rotor blades struck the corner of an oil derrick that was partially positioned over the helipad. The pilot lost control and descended inverted into the ocean. The emergency external floats were not inflated, and the helicopter sank. At the time of the accident, a mobile jack-up rig was mated with the fixed production platform. According to the company that owned the production platform, the helipad was closed and all flight operations were being conducted from the jack-up rig’s helipad, which was larger and unobstructed. However, at the time of the accident, the production platform’s helipad was not marked closed and no notice to airman (NOTAM) had been issued to notify pilots that the helipad was closed. There was also nothing in the operator’s flight operations manual that would have restricted the pilot from landing under an obstruction. Other company pilots were aware that this helipad was a flight hazard due to the encroachment of the oil derrick, but it was never reported to management or via the company’s internal safety notification system. A review of company flight manifest records revealed that the pilot had flown to this platform on several occasions, including 2 days before the accident, and landed on the jack-up rig’s helipad. It could not be determined why the pilot decided to land on the smaller and obstructed helipad rather than the jack up rig’s larger helipad just 2 days later. Examination of the helicopter and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach
- Loss of control in flight during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Runway markings/signage › Decision related to condition
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Availability of policy/proc › Other institution/organization
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Safety programs › Adherence to safety program › Operator
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground equipment › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,703 hours in all; 374 in this make and model; 69 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,560 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 24, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,948 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 24, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 4,450 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GM at 8:14 pm
- Destination: Gulf Of Mexico
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from 9F2, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.