Bell 212 accident near Morgan City, Louisiana, February 29, 1992
On February 29, 1992 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Bell 212 (helicopter), registered N92AL, was destroyed in an accident near Morgan City, Louisiana. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE INFLIGHT SEPARATION OF THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM AS RESULTS OF THE MAIN ROTOR STATIC STOP CONTACTING THE MAST FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 29, 1992 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Morgan City, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 212 · all 212s on the register
- Registration
- N92AL · no longer on the register · serial 30828
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AN ATP RATED HELICOPTER PILOT EXPERIENCED AN INFLIGHT BREAKUP WHILE AT CRUISE FLIGHT AT 1,800 FEET MSL. CONTROL WAS LOST FOLLOWING MAST BUMPING AND MAIN ROTOR SEPARATION. THE MAIN WRECKAGE OF THE HELICOPTER WAS LOCATED IN A HEAVILY WOODED MARSH, IN ABOUT 5 FEET OF WATER, RESTING NEARLY UPSIDE DOWN. DEBRIS AND AIRFRAME COMPONENTS WERE FOUND SCATTERED FOR ABOUT 1,000 YARDS PRIOR TO THE MAIN WRECKAGE. ONE WITNESS OBSERVED THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM SEPARATE FROM THE AIRFRAME. THE MAIN ROTOR HUB, WITH BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES STILL ATTACHED, WAS FOUND ABOUT 200 YARDS FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE CAUSE OF THE MAST SEPARATION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF CRITICAL COMPONENTS THAT COULD NOT BE RECOVERED.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,993 hours in all; 955 in this make and model; 1,427 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,227 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 9, 1992; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,200 lb
- Seats: 15
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6T-3B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Offshore Logistics, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: VEC Venice LA at 8:15 pm
- Destination: ARA New Iberia LA
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:31 pm from PTN, 10 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.
Other NTSB records under N92AL the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.