Bell 206L-1 accident near E. Island Blk15, April 17, 1990
On April 17, 1990 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Bell 206L-1 (helicopter), registered N1071A, was involved in an accident near E. Island Blk15. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE LOSS OF CONTINUITY IN THE COMPRESSOR SECTION OF THE ENGINE DUE TO A FATIQUE FAILURE OF THE SPUR ADAPTER GEAR SHAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 1990 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- E. Island Blk15
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N1071A · registry record · serial 45340
- 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
DURING A FLIGHT OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO, THE HELICOPTER HAD A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT DEPLOYED THE FLOATS. THE LANDING WAS HARD ENOUGH FOR ONE OF THE PASSENGERS TO RECEIVE SERIOUS INJURIES. SOMETIME AFTER THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS WERE RESCUED, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER IN THE GLASSY, SMOOTH, WATER. TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE SPUR ADAPTER GEAR SHAFT HAD LOST ITS HARDNESS, AND THAT EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE WAS PRESENT IN THE CAMPONENTS. IT WAS NOT DETERMINED WHAT THE CYCLIC VALUE OF THE FATIGUE CRACKS WERE, HOWEVER, THE POINT OF ORIGIN WAS DETERMINED TO BE A RUBBED AREA ON THE SPUR ADAPTER GEAR SHAFT.
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; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,500 hours in all; 1,748 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 11,180 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,070 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 14, 1990; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,050 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C28B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Houston Helicopter INC.
The flight
- Departed from: GI82 Grand Island 82 GM at 7:03 pm
- Destination: 1R5 Cameron LA
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 3 |
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 FTW90LA096.