19891010039549A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Agusta A109A · Lacey Township, NJ · October 10, 1989

Date: October 10, 1989 · 13:29 local
Place: Lacey Township, NJ
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: DAGA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N21FL
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC90MA009
Reported as: Agusta A109A
Reported engine: Allison 250C20B
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 5
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,900 total100 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N21FLRegistration cancelled May 14, 1990 · Agusta AGUSTA A109S/N 7309 Airframe modelAgusta AGUSTA A109

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 rotor blade separated in flight. Helicopter came apart and crashed.

As the FAA filed it

MAIN ROTOR BLADE SEPARATED IN FLIGHT. HELICOPTER CAME APART AND CRASHED.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB NYC90MA009Accident · 5 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportLacey Township, NJIn-flight separation of a main rotor blade due to fatigue failure of the main rotor blade spar, which originated at a manufacturing induced scratch (tool mark) that was the result of inadequate quality control.Oct 10, 1989 · Destroyed