Bell B206L-1 accident near Patterson, Louisiana, December 9, 2004
On December 9, 2004 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Bell B206L-1 (helicopter), registered N5007F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Patterson, Louisiana. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation resulting from the pilot's failure to activate the fuel boost pumps prior to takeoff. A contributing factor was that the helicopter was at an airspeed and altiutude combination (below height/velocity curve) which precluded the pilot from executing a successful autorotation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 2004 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Patterson, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bell B206L-1
- Registration
- N5007F · registry record · serial 45186
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot lifted off and approximately 50 feet above ground level (agl), the engine lost power. The helicopter was at an airspeed and altitude combination (below height/velocity curve), and the pilot was unable to execute a successful autorotation. The helicopter contacted the ground in a high rate of descent, resulting in the main rotor blade contacting the tail boom. At the time of the incident the helicopter contained less then 200 pounds of fuel and the pilot had not engaged the fuel boost pump circuit breakers before liftoff. The Bell 206L-1 flight manual, revision 21, indicated the following: "Warning: If both fuel boost pumps fail, unusable fuel may be as high as 150 pounds due to inability to transfer fuel from the forward cells."
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,250 hours in all; 3,553 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C-30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Ss-198 GM at 1:25 pm
- Destination: PTN Patterson LA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.