Bell 206L accident near New York City, New York, April 29, 1982
On April 29, 1982 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Bell 206L (helicopter), registered N16959, was substantially damaged in an accident near New York City, New York. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 29, 1982 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- New York City, New York
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L · all 206Ls on the register
- Registration
- N16959 · no longer on the register · serial 46610
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLT DEPARTED THE 34TH STREET HELIPORT ON A LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLT TO THE STATUE OF LIBERTY & RETURN. AS THE FLT CROSSED LOWER MANHATTAN, ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM THE EAST RIVER, THE PLT HEARD THE LOW RPM AUDIO SIGNAL. HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE & ROTOR RPM RETURNED TO THE GREEN. WHILE TURNING TO THE EAST RIVER THE GENERATOR-OUT & ENG-OUT LIGHTS' ILLUMINATED. THE FLOATS WERE INFLATED & THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED THE WATER IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE NOSE THEN CONTACTED THE WATER & THE CHIN BUBBLE BROKE. WATER ENTERED THE HELICOPTER & IT ROLLED RIGHT TO AN INVERTED POSITION. INVESTIGATIONDISCLOSED THAT THE FILTER LINE BETWEEN THE COMPRESSOR SCROLL & THE POWER CONTROL UNIT HAD BROKEN AT THE FILTER END. A VISUAL EXAMINATION OF THE FAILED PC LINE & THE B-NUT FITTING DISCLOSED THAT THE FRACTURE OCCURRED AT THE OUTBOARDEND OF THE FERRUL.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,339 hours in all; 584 in this make and model; 136 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 963 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,603 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Island Helicopter, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: New York City NY at 11:33 am
- Destination: New York City NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 140°F (60°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 am from LGA, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.