Bell 206L-1 accident near High Island 389, May 29, 1982
On May 29, 1982 at about 5:24 pm local time, a Bell 206L-1 (helicopter), registered N1070D, was destroyed in an accident near High Island 389 (High Island 389 airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 1982 · about 5:24 pm local time
- Place
- High Island 389 · High Island 389
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N1070D · registry record · serial 45309
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT APPROACHING LANDING PLATFORM HEARD A LOUD BANG AND AUTOROTATED TO WATER. AIRCRAFT ROLLED INVERTED AND WAS DAMAGED BY WAVES BANGING IT AGAINST PLATFORM. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE FIRST STAGE TURBINE WHEEL, PN 6895801G, HAD FAILED AND EXITED THE CASE. THE WHEEL FAILED FROM LOW CYCLE THERMAL FATIGUE WHICH ORIGINATED IN THE RIM AREA.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,286 hours in all; 1,903 in this make and model; 162 in the last 90 days; 14,286 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,267 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C28B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 595 High Island GM at 12:10 pm
- Destination: High Island 389 GM
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 189°F (87°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 12:24 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW82DA201.