Bell 206L-3 accident near Grand Isle 74, January 8, 2002
On January 8, 2002 at about 9:52 pm local time, a Bell 206L-3 (helicopter), registered N349AL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Isle 74. 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudged landing flare. A contributing factor was the fatigue fracture of the PC air line due to the improper installation by company maintenance personnel, which resulted in a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 2002 · about 9:52 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Isle 74
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-3 · all 206L-3s on the register
- Registration
- N349AL · registry record · serial 51388
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was in cruise flight at an altitude of 1,200 feet msl, 22 miles south of its destination, when the engine lost power. The pilot verified that the engine had failed, made a "May Day" call, initiated an autorotation to the water and inflated the emergency floats. Prior to contact with the water, the pilot pulled all available collective pitch, and the helicopter "impacted in a slight nose low, right banking attitude. During impact the right front float bag ruptured." The helicopter rolled right and remained floating inverted as the pilot egressed. According to an FAA inspector, the pilot reported having a problem determining the helicopter's height above the water. "The weather was VMC with the wind from the southwest at an estimated 10 knots and the seas state displayed wave heights of two to three feet." Examination of the helicopter revealed that the PC air line between the tee for the power turbine governor and the fuel control was found fractured under the "B" nut at the fuel control. An examination of the tube assembly at NTSB Materials Laboratory, revealed fatigue cracking within the flared portion of the tube end. The origin areas were located on the inside surface of the tube, at circumferential scoring marks. The location of the origin areas approximately corresponds to the inside diameter of the fitting ("B" nut) that mates with the flared end. According to the engine maintenance manual, excessive torque on pneumatic sensing system connections results in cracking of the flare or adjacent tube area in contact with the ferrule.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,384 hours in all; 557 in this make and model; 107 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 17, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,021.4 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 30, 2001; 28.3 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: NONE Grand Isle 102 GM at 9:39 pm
- Destination: 9LA3 Fourchon LA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from HUM, 38 miles away
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.