Bell 206B accident near Pacific Ocean, PO, September 22, 1993
On September 22, 1993 at about 8:25 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N285CA, was destroyed in an accident near Pacific Ocean, PO. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 1993 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- Pacific Ocean, PO
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N285CA · no longer on the register · serial 1678
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS AT LONGITUDE 121 DEGREES 13 MINUTES WEST AND LATITUDE 12 DEGREES 52 MINUTES NORTH. ACCORDING TO AN EXTRACT FROM THE SHIP'S LOG, THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED THE VESSEL ON A FISH SPOTTING MISSION AND WAS WORKING AN AREA 15 TO 20 MILES FROM THE SHIP WHILE BEING MONITORED ON THE SHIP SEARCH RADAR. AT A POINT BEARING 305 DEGREES AND 17 MILES FROM THE SHIP, THE PILOT ADVISED THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO THE VESSEL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PILOT TRANSMITTED 'WE ARE GOING DOWN...THE ENGINE HAS STOPPED.' THE VESSEL IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED TO THE LAST KNOWN RADAR POSITION OF THE HELICOPTER AND BEGAN A SEARCH PATTERN, WHICH WAS SUSPENDED AT DUSK. AT 0900 HOURS ON SEPTEMBER 23RD, VARIOUS PIECES OF FIBER GLASS AND AN UNOPENED INFLATABLE RAFT WERE FOUND AND A SHORT TIME LATER, THE BODY OF THE PASSENGER WAS LOCATED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,713 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250 C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
- Operator: Crescent Airways, LTD.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.