Bell 206L-1 incident near South Pass 57, GM, June 6, 2006
On June 6, 2006 at about 12:55 pm local time, a Bell 206L-1 (helicopter), registered N272M, was involved in an incident near South Pass 57, GM. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The passenger's failure to follow procedures associated with operations in the vicinity of the helicopter and his failure to see/avoid the tail rotor of the helicopter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 2006 · about 12:55 pm local time
- Place
- South Pass 57, GM
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N272M · no longer on the register · serial 45365
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter departed its company base for an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, where it was scheduled to pick up three passengers with the intent of transporting them around on daily platform checks. The pilot asked his passengers if they had any questions on aircraft safety. He also said he had briefed and flown with these passengers before, and that the passengers indicated that they had no questions regarding safety or emergency equipment. The pilot landed on the next platform's helideck with the nose of the helicopter into the wind and towards the northeast stairs. With the helicopter idling, two of the passengers exited the helicopter and proceeded down the stairs located on the northeast side. The oil platform's helideck is a 40 foot by 40 foot landing area with two stairways, one located on the northeast side and the another stairway on the southwest side. After approximately 5 minutes, one of the passengers reappeared from the northeast stairway and approached the helicopter from the front. The remaining passenger then entered the helideck from the southwest stairway, approached the helicopter from the rear and walked into the idling helicopter's tail-rotor.
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: 11,754 hours in all; 743 in this make and model; 118 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 10,167 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,806 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 1, 2006; 1 hours since
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C30 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Gulf Of Mexico
- Destination: Gulf Of Mexico
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 067° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N272M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.