Bell UH-1B accident near San Diego, Texas, January 12, 1990
On January 12, 1990 at about 3:50 am local time, a Bell UH-1B (helicopter), registered N15SX, was destroyed in an accident near San Diego, Texas. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT INTENTIONALLY FLEW INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS DURING NIGHT VFR FLIGHT, AND THE HELICOPTER SUBSEQUENTLY COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 1990 · about 3:50 am local time
- Place
- San Diego, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bell UH-1B · all UH-1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N15SX · registry record · serial 63-8606
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING FLOWN AT NIGHT IN AN AREA WHERE THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WERE 64 DEGREES F. THE PILOT LANDED SEVERAL MILES WEST OF SAN DIEGO, TEXAS. HE SAID HE HAD LANDED DUE TO FOG AND TO ASK DIRECTIONS TO ANOTHER TOWN, SO HE COULD DELIVER BIRDS FOR A HUNT THE NEXT DAY. HE WAS GIVEN DIRECTIONS TO ANOTHER TOWN, BUT WAS ALSO TOLD HE COULD LEAVE THE HELICOPTER THERE, AND THEY WOULD TAKE THE BIRDS TO TOWN TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO DRIVE IN AND PICK UP THE BIRDS. THE PILOT SAID HE THOUGHT HE COULD MAKE IT TO THE NEXT TOWN. THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED, BUT DID NOT ARRIVE IN THE NEXT TOWN. HUNTERS REPORTED HEARING A CRASH SEVEN MILES WEST OF THE DEPARTURE POINT. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED, BUT AFTER 2 1/2 HOURS, THE SEARCH WAS STOPPED DUE TO DENSE FOG. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND THE NEXT DAY, APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES WEST OF SAN DIEGO, TEXAS. NO PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE FOUND.
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: 12,075 hours in all; 1,840 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 8,790 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,775 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 22, 1989; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,500 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T531-11 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Coastal Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: San Diego TX at 3:44 am
- Destination: Freer TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 am from ALI, 20 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW90FA051.