Bell 206 L-1 incident near Brownsville, Texas, October 30, 1988
On October 30, 1988 at about 8:47 pm local time, a Bell 206 L-1 (helicopter), registered N2092U, suffered minor damage in an incident near Brownsville, Texas (Brownsville airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
UNCONTAINED ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO THE THERMAL FATIGUE OF THE FIRST STAGE TRUBINE WHEEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 1988 · about 8:47 pm local time
- Place
- Brownsville, Texas · Brownsville · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206 L-1 · all 206 L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N2092U · registry record · serial 45697
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE DUE TO THE UNCONTAINED FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. THE FIRST STAGE TURBINE WHEEL FAILED AS A RESULT OF THERMAL FATIGUE. A SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATIVE LANDING WAS MADE TO A TAXIWAY WITH NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES.
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: 6,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,728 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 30, 1988; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C28B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Silver Star Aviation
The flight
- Destination: BRO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from BRO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.