Bell 47 SOLOY accident near Intracoastal, Louisiana, August 23, 1996
On August 23, 1996 at about 5:00 am local time, a Bell 47 SOLOY (helicopter), registered N1169W, was destroyed in an accident near Intracoastal, Louisiana. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the loss of aircraft control by unknown person(s).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1996 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Intracoastal, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47 SOLOY · all 47 SOLOYs on the register
- Registration
- N1169W · registry record · serial 2943
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to local law enforcement personnel, an 'unknown individual started the helicopter, lifted off the ground, and immediately lost control.' Examination of the wreckage revealed that the tail boom was severed, and the main rotor system became separated from the helicopter. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident, and no local residents of the area recalled hearing the helicopter or the sound of impact anytime during the night. The operator stated that the helicopter was last operated on the previous afternoon, and the helicopter was secured at 1800. The operator reported the helicopter missing at 0530. No suspects were arrested or charged. Injury index presumed.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,000 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 10, 1996; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 FTW96LA356.