Bell 206L-1 accident near Jamaica Beach, Texas, March 4, 1997
On March 4, 1997 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Bell 206L-1 (helicopter), registered N5829D, was destroyed in an accident near Jamaica Beach, Texas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's encounter with instrument meteorological conditions, and his subsequent loss of aircraft control due to the loss of visual cues to detect his height above the water. Factors were the low ceilings and fog, and the loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 1997 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Jamaica Beach, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1 · all 206L-1s on the register
- Registration
- N5829D · registry record · serial 45270
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an offshore flight in the Gulf Of Mexico, approximately 3 nautical miles from San Luis Pass, the helicopter encountered low ceilings and low visibilities. The pilot began to slow the helicopter, and descended to approximately 50 above the water. He started a right turn to reverse direction while continuing to slow down. While in the turn, 'the aircraft began to vibrate and [he] recognized it as the transverse flow effect.' Due to the lack of resolution of the water, the pilot was having difficulty determining his exact altitude. He 'immediately applied collective and forward left cyclic to level the aircraft. The vibrations accelerated and the aircraft began an uncommanded turn to the right.' He followed the turn with cyclic and allowed the aircraft to descend. He rolled off the throttle, and the spin stopped. Before the pilot could inflate the floats, the helicopter impacted the water, rolled over onto its right side and subsequently sank. The raft was recovered from the helicopter, and the pilot and passengers floated in dense fog for about 3 1/2 hours before washing ashore at Surfside Beach.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,593 hours in all; 2,409 in this make and model; 74 in the last 90 days; 59 in the last 30 days; 10,056 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,292 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 1, 1997; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C28B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Offshore Logistics, INC
The flight
- Departed from: Galveston 313 GM at 6:06 pm
- Destination: GLS Galveston TX
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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 FTW97LA114.