Bell 206-L3 accident near Gulf Of Mexico, October 6, 2005
On October 6, 2005 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Bell 206-L3 (helicopter), registered N6560K, was destroyed in an accident near Gulf Of Mexico (Lafayette Regional Airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Undetermined. The aircraft is missing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 6, 2005 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Gulf Of Mexico · Lafayette Regional Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206-L3 · all 206-L3s on the register
- Registration
- N6560K · no longer on the register · serial 51426
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 7,498-hour commercial pilot was assumed to have departed an unmanned offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico with two passengers onboard destined for a private heliport in Louisiana. When the pilot failed to make his required 30-minute position reports, a search was initiated by the United States Coast Guard (USCG). No distress calls were ever reported from the pilot and no debris was ever located. The USCG ceased search and rescue efforts 4 days after the reported disappearance of the helicopter; however, the operator continued to fly over the coastlines of Texas and Louisiana in search of washed-up debris and issued an All-Notification to vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico. At the time of this report, the helicopter is still missing.
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: 7,498 hours in all; 144 in the last 90 days; 7,324 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C30 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Industrial Helicopters Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: Vermillion 408 at 9:45 pm
- Destination: Scott LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from KLFT, 160 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.