Bell 206B accident near Point Loma, California, July 28, 1984
On July 28, 1984 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N100TH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Point Loma, California (North Island airport). It was an other work-use flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 1984 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Point Loma, California · North Island · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N100TH · registry record · serial 1156
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER WAS DITCHED NEAR PT LOMA, CA, AFTER THE ENG QUIT. THE PLT SAID THERE WAS NO LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT OR CHIP LIGHT. AFTER SALVAGE THE FUEL LINES WERE FOUND EMPTY OF FUEL AND THE TANK CONTAINED MOSTLY SEA WATER. THE WIRES TO THE ANNUNICIATOR PANEL LIGHTS HAD BEEN CLEANLY CUT. THE FOLLOWING CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE POPPED: CAUTION, TOT, IGNITION, ONE MARKED EC100(2), AND ONE MARKED 28 U(10).
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,470 hours in all; 3,130 in this make and model; 176 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 4,192 as pilot in command; 1,761 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 31, 1984; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Point Loma CA
- Destination: SAN San Diego CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from SAN, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX84FA418.