Bell 212 accident near Intracoastal Ci, Louisiana, April 22, 1982
On April 22, 1982 at about 7:07 pm local time, a Bell 212 (helicopter), registered N5752W, was destroyed in an accident near Intracoastal Ci, Louisiana. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured; 9 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- April 22, 1982 · about 7:07 pm local time
- Place
- Intracoastal Ci, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured; 9 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bell 212 · all 212s on the register
- Registration
- N5752W · no longer on the register · serial 31137
- 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
THE HELICOPTER WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT WHEN A SUDDEN AND SEVERE RIGHT YAW OCCURRED. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT WAS AUTOROTATED TO A DITCHING IN ROUGH WATER. TOUCHDOWN WAS MADE ON TOP OF A WAVE, THEN THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER. THE SURVIVORS DID NOT GET THE RAFT OUT. ANOTHER HELICOPTER ARRIVED BUT COULD NOT LAND IN THE ROUGH SEA. A LIFE RAFT WAS DROPPED, BUT IT WAS BLOWN DOWNWIND BY THE TIME A SURVIVOR (THE COPILOT) SWAM TO IT AND GOT IT INFLATED. THE COPILOT WAS UNABLE TO PADDLE AGAINST THE WIND TO THE OTHER SURVIVORS. THE HELICOPTER SANK BEFORE A RESCUE BOAT ARRIVED. HOWEVER, IT WAS RECOVERED, LATER. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FEMALE PORTION OF A TAIL ROTOR COUPLING, PN 204-040-604-5, HAD FAILED DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION. THE PROPER TYPE OF LUBRICANT HAD BEEN USED. AN EXAM OF THE COUPLING SEAL, PN 204-040-611-1, REVEALED TEARS AND A CIRCUMFERENTIAL CUT, .14 TO .16 INCH LONG. GREASE WAS FOUND THROUGHOUT THE CUT AREA. THE HELICOPTER HAD ACCUMULATED 1226 HRS TOTAL TIME AND 376 HRS SINCE OVERHAUL.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 25,383 hours in all; 426 in this make and model; 71 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,200 lb
- Seats: 15
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P & W PT6T3-3B-6 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Rotor-Aids, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: High Island Blk at 12:05 pm
- Destination: ICY Intracoastal Ci LA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 30 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 149°F (65°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 | 8 |
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.