Bell 206B incident near Venice, Louisiana, November 25, 2003
On November 25, 2003 at about 1:08 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N125TA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Venice, Louisiana (None airport). 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 failure of the forward boost pump while in cruise flight while operating with less than 10 gallons of fuel onboard, which resulted in a loss of engine power. A factor was the inoperative forward fuel boost pump caution light switch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 25, 2003 · about 1:08 pm local time
- Place
- Venice, Louisiana · None · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N125TA · registry record · serial 1315
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot calculated the positioning flight would take approximately 42 minutes. He departed with 33 gallons of fuel indicated, which allowed enough fuel to reach the destination, plus reserve. The helicopter does not have another means of checking fuel quantity except for the fuel gauge in the cockpit. While en route, the pilot noticed that the fuel gauge needle was "sticking", and jumped from 14 gallons down to 7 gallons, which alerted his attention that there was less fuel than originally indicated. At that point, the helicopter was about 7 miles short of the destination, and the pilot elected to continue. Approximately one minute later, the fuel boost pump caution light flickered, and approximately 15 seconds later the engine "flamed out." As the engine spooled down, the fuel gauge indicated 6 or 7 gallons. The pilot performed an autoration, deployed the floats, and landed in shallow water. Examination of the helicopter revealed the forward boost pump was inoperative, the switch to the forward boost pump caution light did not work, and approximately 6.5 to 7 gallons of fuel were drained from the tank. According to the Bell 206B Pilot Operating Handbook (POH), "Due to possible fuel sloshing in unusual attitudes or out of trim conditions and one or both fuel boost pumps inoperative, the unusable fuel is 10 gallons." Though it is possible for a pilot to test both boost pumps prior to flight, there was no directive outlined in the POH for a pilot to do so. As a result, the operator examined their remaining Bell 206B fleet and ensured the forward and aft fuel boost pumps, and both fuel pressure switches operated as required. All systems operated properly. In addition, the Before Starting Engine checklist was revised to include a functional test of each fuel boost pump and caution light.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,175 hours in all; 150 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 10, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,233.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 30, 2003; 67.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Pascagoula MS at 12:45 pm
- Destination: NONE Venice LA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°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.