Bell 412 incident near Rowan Midland, August 8, 1991
On August 8, 1991 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Bell 412 (helicopter), registered N177EH, was involved in an incident near Rowan Midland. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 15 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE MECHANIC'S FAILURE TO ASSEMBLE THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT CORRECTLY AND THE SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF INSPECTION PROCEDURES FOR OFFSHORE MAINTENANCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1991 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Rowan Midland
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 15 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 412 · all 412s on the register
- Registration
- N177EH · no longer on the register · serial 33037
- 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 TAKEOFF FROM A MOVING VESSEL, THE PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO FLY IN AN EFFORT TO REACH AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM. AS DIRECTION CONTROL BECAME MORE UNSTABLE, THE CAPTAIN ORDERED THE FIRST OFFICER TO MAKE A WATER LANDING. FLOATS WERE INFLATED AND THE LANDING WAS MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT. ALL 15 ON BOARD WERE RECOVERED WITHOUT INCIDENT. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT HAD BEEN ASSEMBLED INCORRECTLY AND THAT THE QUILL ASSEMBLY HAD 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
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,900 hours in all; 8,000 in this make and model; 118 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 12,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,900 lb
- Seats: 15
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6T-3B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Era Aviation INC.
The flight
- Departed from: NONE West. Carribean GM at 1:11 pm
- Destination: MSY New Orleans LA
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 13 |
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.