19790714039919A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Philadelphia, PA · July 14, 1979

Date
July 14, 1979 · 09:50 local
Place
Philadelphia, PA
Phase of flight
Hovering
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N1443W
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC79FA056
Reported as
Bell 206B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
6,968 total767 in this make and model138 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Main drive shaft coupling failed while helicopter was in hover at low altitude. Aircraft impacted water vertically.

As the FAA filed it

MAIN DRIVE SHAFT COUPLING FAILED WHILE HELICOPTER WAS IN HOVER AT LOW ALTITUDE. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED WATER VERTICALLY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.