Bell 206L-4 accident near Sabine Pass, TX
On December 11, 2008, a Bell 206L-4 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Sabine Pass, TX. 5 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 11, 2008
- Place
- Sabine Pass, TX
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-4 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 5 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 29.655°N, 93.948°W
- NTSB ID
- 20081211X45825
Official records · CEN09FA086
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Pilot Dispatch Communication Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 11, 2008, approximately 0730 central standard time, a Bell Helicopter 206L-4, N180AL, owned and operated by Rotorcraft Leasing Company L.L.C., was destroyed when it impacted water, six miles south of Sabine Pass, Texas, in the Gulf of Mexico. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The non-scheduled domestic passenger flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135, and was operating on a company flight plan. The commercial pilot and four passengers were fatally injured. The cross-country flight departed Sabine Pass at 0722 and was en route to, West Cameron 157, an offshore drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. According to officials with Rotorcraft Leasing Company L.L.C. (RLC) the pilot met his passengers, all employees of Island Operating Company, Inc., in Sabine Pass on the morning of the accident. Witnesses observed the pilot preflight and prepare the helicopter for the flight. At 0725, the pilot contacted RLC Communications Center and filed a flight plan from Sabine Pass to West Cameron 157. The pilot reported that he had four passengers and two hours of fuel on board, and expected to arrive at the destination at 0742. RLC’s Communications Center provided flight following services for the accident flight. Company policy required that a 15-minute position report be made for every flight. When the 15 minutes had elapsed (from the time the pilot filed his flight plan until his anticipated position report was due) the dispatcher immediately began to l
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the water. Contributing to the accident was the inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions.
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Browse: Texas · Bell aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
