Bell 206L incident near New York, New York, October 29, 1993
On October 29, 1993 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Bell 206L (helicopter), registered N16696, was involved in an incident near New York, 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
Inadequate maintenance which resulted in the improper alignment of the 'O' ring on the spur adapter gear drive which caused lack of lubrication and wear of the gear drive and the disengagement of the compressor and turbine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 1993 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- New York, New York · map
- Type
- Incident
- 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
- N16696 · no longer on the register · serial 45101
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT AND OVER THE EAST RIVER IN NEW YORK CITY WHEN THERE WAS A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT DEPLOYED THE EMERGENCY FLOATS, INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION AND LANDED ON THE RIVER. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE FOUND AN 'O' RING WAS IN AN IMPROPER POSITION ON THE TURBINE SPLINED ADAPTER WHICH CONNECTS THE TURBINE AND COMPRESSOR SECTIONS OF THE ENGINE. IN ADDITION, THE SPLINED END WAS DRY OF LUBRICATION AND WORN TO THE POINT OF DISENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE COMPRESSOR AND TURBINE. ACCORDING TO THE FAA, DURING ENGINE ASSEMBLY, THE 'O' RING IS INSTALLED AND CHECKED TO SEE THAT IT IS IN THE PROPER POSITION, THEN THE ENGINE HALVES ARE ASSEMBLED. DURING THE ASSEMBLY, WHEN THE 'O' RING IS NO LONGER VISIBLE IT COULD BE ROLLED OUT OF POSITION OR DAMAGED. THIS COULD PREVENT LUBRICATION FROM REACHING THE SPLINED END.
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: multi-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,156 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20,432 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 19, 1993; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from LGA, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N16696 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.