Bell 206L-1 accident near Ship Shoal 225, December 5, 1999
On December 5, 1999 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Bell 206L-1 (helicopter), registered N600CK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ship Shoal 225. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of power for undetermined reasons. A factor was the rough water condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 5, 1999 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Ship Shoal 225
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N600CK · registry record · serial 45787
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was about halfway to its intended destination in the Gulf Of Mexico, approximately 150 feet above the water, when the engine lost power. The pilot initiated an autorotation to the water and deployed the floats. The helicopter landed 'hard,' but remained upright and afloat. The pilot got the emergency raft from the cabin and inflated it. After getting into the raft, the waves, which were estimated at 6-8 feet, overturned the helicopter, and it sank in 160 feet of water. The helicopter was not recovered, therefore, the reason for the loss of power could not be determined.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 21,949 hours in all; 1,900 in this make and model; 141 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,960 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 13, 1999; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 89 at 1:40 pm
- Destination: Ship Shoal 222 GM
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°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.