Bell OH-58C accident near Beaumont, Texas, September 16, 2004
On September 16, 2004 at about 3:37 am local time, a Bell OH-58C (helicopter), registered N9273T, was destroyed in an accident near Beaumont, Texas. It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
**This probable cause was modified on 2/22/2016. Please see the public docket for this accident for additional details.** The pilot's failure to maintain a safe altitude, resulting in collision with the water. A factor was the dark night.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2004 · about 3:37 am local time
- Place
- Beaumont, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell OH-58C · all OH-58Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9273T · no longer on the register · serial 71-20495
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A single-engine public use helicopter was destroyed when it impacted water while maneuvering over a lake at night during a search mission. The 2,475-hour commercial pilot reported that he had set the altimeter to the current barometric pressure setting of 29.75 inches of Mercury prior to departure. Then, he and the pilot-rated passenger departed and made several passes over the lake at 500 feet, then descended to 300 feet for better visual reference of an object on the water. The crew still had difficulty identifying the object and the pilot descended to 200 feet. The pilot reported that there was absolutely no reference to the horizon, so he told the passenger that he would be "on the instruments." As the pilot made a right hand turn, he said the altimeter indicated a slow descent from 200 feet, so he pulled back slightly on the cyclic and increased collective pitch to start a smooth, climbing right turn. As the pilot did so, the passenger shouted, "look out!" The pilot pulled the cyclic back sharply and looked out the windscreen. The pilot thought that he was about to strike a tower because the altimeter indicated an altitude between 150 and 175 feet. The pilot then saw a "black wall" through the windscreen and they collided with the water. Examination of the altimeter revealed that it was not impact damaged, but did exhibit water and corrosion damage. It displayed a barometric pressure setting of 29.66 inches of Mercury and an altitude of approximately 110 feet. Due to corrosion, the unit could not be bench tested. The face of the instrument was removed, and excessive corrosion was observed inside the unit and around the gears. The barrel shaft (turn knob) was locked, but it was engaged to the barrel. The number-wheels were also intact and engaged. According to the aircraft checklist, the altimeter was to be set and checked by the pilot prior to take-off.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,475 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Crew member
No details recorded.
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,063.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 30, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 3,192 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BPT Beaumont TX at 3:10 am
- Destination: TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 020° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from BPT, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.