Bell 412 accident near Garden Banks, August 26, 1991
On August 26, 1991 at about 12:15 pm local time, a Bell 412 (helicopter), registered N3909F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Garden Banks. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed, 4 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 7 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
OVERHEATING AND SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE NUMBER ONE TAIL ROTOR HANGER BEARING FOR AN UNDETERINED REASON, AND FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 1991 · about 12:15 pm local time
- Place
- Garden Banks
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed, 4 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 7 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 412 · all 412s on the register
- Registration
- N3909F · no longer on the register · serial 33015
- Damage
- Substantial 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 HELICOPTER WAS ON FINAL APCH TO AN OIL RIG IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, WHEN TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY & DRCTNL CTL WERE LOST. AS THE CREW BEGAN AN AUTOROTATION TO THE WATER, THE HELICOPTER SPUN OUT OF CTL TO THE RGT. IT MADE 2 TO 3 REVOLUTIONS & IMPACTED THE WATER. THE RGT FLOATATION GEAR DEPLOYED, BUT THE LEFT FLOATATION GEAR DIDN'T DEPLOY, BECAUSE THE PNEUMATIC LINES WERE PULLED APART DRG IMPACT. SUBSEQUENLTY, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER DRG TOUCHDOWN IN THE WATER. THE CREW & 10 OF 11 PSGRS ESCAPED THRU THE EMERG WINDOWS. THE OTR PSGR REMAINED IN HIS SEAT (INCAPACITATED FM INJURIES) & DROWNED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE #1 HANGER BEARING HAD OVERHEATED & DISINTEGRATED AT AN EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT FAILED.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,400 hours in all; 2,145 in this make and model; 89 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 8,633 as pilot in command; 400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,337 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 13, 1991; 192 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 116,600 lb
- Seats: 13
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6T-3B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Ship Shole 248 GM at 11:50 am
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 1 | 3 | 7 |
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.