Bell 206L accident near Abbeville, Louisiana, June 2, 1989
On June 2, 1989 at about 12:00 pm local time, a Bell 206L (helicopter), registered N992PT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Abbeville, Louisiana (Abbeville Muni airport). It was a business flight 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
PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: PERSON(S) IN THE INTENDED EMERGENCY LANDING AREA AND SOFT TERRAIN WHERE THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 1989 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Abbeville, Louisiana · Abbeville Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L · all 206Ls on the register
- Registration
- N992PT · no longer on the register · serial 45716
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THERE WAS A VARIATION IN ENG PWR AS HE APCHD THE DESTN, AS WELL AS A LOW ROTOR RPM INDCN. HE SAID HE ELECTED TO MAKE AN AUTOROTATION ONTO A TWY, BUT HE NOTICE SOMEONE IN THE INTENDED LANDING AREA. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE MANEUVERED TO LAND IN A GRASSY AREA, BUT DURING A RUN-ON LANDING, THE HELICOPTER ENCOUNTERED SOFT TERRAIN & ROCKED FORWARD. AS THE HELICOPTER ROCKED FORWARD, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM, SEVERING THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY. DURING AN OPERATIONAL CHECK, THE ENG RAN NORMALLY. NO REASON WAS FOUND FOR THE REPORTED VARIATION OF ENG POWER & LOW RPM.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 7,000 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,487 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 11, 1989; 68 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: LAF Lafayette LA at 11:35 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 3,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°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.