Bell 222 incident near Houston, Texas, January 11, 1983
On January 11, 1983 at about 10:33 pm local time, a Bell 222 (helicopter), registered N23021, was involved in an incident near Houston, Texas (Houston Intercont. airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 6 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 incident. 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
- January 11, 1983 · about 10:33 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Houston Intercont. · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 222 · all 222s on the register
- Registration
- N23021 · registry record · serial 47083
- Damage
- Not recorded
- 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 DEVELOPED A SEVERE VIBRATION WHILE IN FLT. THE PILOT EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING WITH NO FURTHER ACFT DAMAGE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE WALKING BEAM ASSEMBLY LOCATED BETWEEN THE SWASH PLATE AND ROTOR PITCH LINK HAD FAILED. FRACTURING ORIGINATED AT A CORROSION PIT ON A THREAD FLANK. MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF THE THREADS REVEALED THAT LOCAL AREA OF CORROSION PITTING HAD OCCURRED WHERE THE SHOT PEEN BALLS HAD BEEN CONTACTING THE FLANKS OF THE THREADS.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,511 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 205 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 720 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme
- Maximum gross weight: 14,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming LTS-101-650C3 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from IAH, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.