Bell 206B accident near West Cameron, April 5, 1989
On April 5, 1989 at about 6:27 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N5004L, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Cameron (West Cameron, Blk 266 airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE/INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND FUEL CONTAMINATION, WHICH RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. RELATED FACTORS WERE: A BINDING (STUCK) FUEL FILTER CAP BYPASS VALVE AND PARTIAL FAILURE (INTERMITTENT OPERATION) OF THE RESPECTIVE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 1989 · about 6:27 pm local time
- Place
- West Cameron · West Cameron, Blk 266
- Type
- Accident
- 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
- N5004L · no longer on the register · serial 2451
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER HAD SVRL INFLT ENG DECELERATIONS THAT MAINTENANCE EFFORTS DID NOT ISOLATE. AFTER REPLACING THE ENG FUEL CONTROLLER, A TEST FLT WAS MADE (FROM AN OIL DRILLING PLATFORM). DRG THE FLT, THE ENG SURGED, THEN DECELERATED. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE HELIPAD. HE ELECTED TO LAND ON THE PLATFORM, SHORT OF THE HELIPAD, RATHER THAN ACCEPT SEA CONDS OF 8 FT WAVES. DRG THE LANDING, THE HELICOPTER WAS DAMAGED. A POST-ACDNT EXAM REVEALED FUEL CONTAMINATION HAD OCCURRED. CONTAMINATION HAD BYPASSED FILTERS IN THE FUEL SYS & HAD CLOGGED & COLLAPSED THE ENG FUEL NOZZLE SCREEN. THE AIRFRAME FUEL FILTER CAP BYPASS VLV WAS FND STUCK OPEN IN THE BYPASS MODE. A PIN (CONNECTED TO THE FUEL FILTER CAP IMPENDING BYPASS TEST BUTTON) WAS FND BENT, HOLDING THE BYPASS VLV OPEN. AN OPEN BYPASS VLV SHOULD HAVE ILLUMINATED A RESPECTIVE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT IN THE COCKPIT; HOWEVER, WHEN CHECKED, THE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT OPERD ONLY INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO A FAULTYCOMPONENT IN THE SYS. DRG TESTS, THE CLOGGED/COLLAPSED FUEL SCREEN PREVENTED SUFFICIENT FUEL FLOW TO SUSTAIN ENG POWER.
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; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,008 hours in all; 4,540 in this make and model; 117 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 6,740 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,728 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 17, 1989; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 25 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°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.