Bell B-206L-1 accident near Galliano, Louisiana, March 13, 2005
On March 13, 2005 at about 3:05 pm local time, a Bell B-206L-1 (helicopter), registered N480RA, was destroyed in an accident near Galliano, Louisiana. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's abrupt input of the collective while the main rotor RPM was at idle, which resulted in a separation of the tail boom.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 2005 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- Galliano, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell B-206L-1
- Registration
- N480RA · no longer on the register · serial 45401
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 1,514-hour pilot landed and remained parked on a platform in the Gulf of Mexico for approximately 10 minutes with the main rotor RPM at ground idle. While parked, the pilot grabbed the flight manifest and placed it in his lap to make an entry. While his head was down making the entry, the pilot had a sensation that the helicopter was "rocking backwards", and he grabbed both controls in an effort to "level" the helicopter. The pilot lifted up on the collective and pushed forward on the cyclic. The tail boom separated from the fuselage and both sections of the helicopter fell off the platform and into the water. Bell Helicopter Operations Safety Notice (OSN 206L-82-4), addressed tail boom skin compression wrinkles in all Bell model 206L/L-1/L-3 helicopter operations. The Notice stated, "Past 206 experience and flight tests...have revealed the tail boom and aft fuselage can be damaged if during an autorotation landing the main rotor RPM is allowed to decay below 70 percent RPM. Applying collective pitch in excess of that required will in some instances result in excessive flapping of the main rotor during or after touch down. This can cause a resonant response that can damage the tail boom and or aft of the fuselage. Touch down rotor RPM above 70 percent RPM is preferred. Upon ground contact collective pitch should be reduced smoothly without delay while maintaining cyclic pitch near the center position. Long ground runs with the collective up, or any tendency to float for a long distance prior to skid contact should be avoided." When asked how this accident could have been prevented, the operator stated, "Pilot should have remained more vigilant in monitoring control input and position. More aggressive use of control friction would have minimized the possibility of this occurrence." Examination of the wreckage revealed the tail boom separated forward of the horizontal stabilizer, consistent with an autorotation/low RPM failure.
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: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,514 hours in all; 106 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 61 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C30 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Rotorcraft Leasing Co LLC
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Gulf Of Mexico
- Destination: NONE Gulf Of Mexico
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
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.