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19971231039849A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Aerosp AS355F · New York, NY · December 31, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 31, 1997 · 16:25 local
Place
New York, NY
Airport
Port Authority-West
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N355DS
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC98LA058
Reported as
Aerosp AS355F
Reported engine
Allison 250C20F
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,500 total120 in this make and model160 in the last 90 days
N355DSRegistration cancelled Mar 3, 1999 · Aerospatiale AS355F TWINSTARS/N 5110Airframe modelAerospatiale AS355F TWINSTAR

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.

Entered settling with power regime landing at heloport. Collided with ops building. (.4)the helicopter had completed a sightseeing tour and was returning to its departure point. The helicopter approached the heliport from the northwest with a tailwind and was cleared to land on the 'transient' pad. The helicopter over flew the transient pad and collided with the control room building at the heliport. The pilot said the helicopter 'settled fast' as he applied collective pitch to arrest his descent. He said the helicopter was too close to the terminal building to attempt a go-around. The pilot added more collective pitch as he came over the landing surface but was unable to stop the helicopter prior to collision with the terminal building. He reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the helicopter. The winds reported at the time of the accident were from 290 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 25 knots. (-23) on December 31, 1997, at 1625 hours EST, an aerospatiale AS-355, N355DS, was substantially damaged during collision with the pegasus operations building following an uncontrolled descent during landing at the west 30th street heliport (jra) New York, New York. The pilot suffered a minor injury to his left hand, 5 passengers refused medical aid at the scene, and operational ground personnel escaped injury. The aircraft had just completed a sightseeing tour. Reported winds were 290/15G25. Aircraft magnetic compass and h/s/i displayed 170 degrees after impact. When pilot was questioned at scen, he stated that as the aircraft descended he applied collective, the aircraft began a rapid sink rate and the pilot was unable to arrest the rate of descent. Pilot further states that the aircraft was mechanically sound. Passengers were not available for statements. Three of the passengers were from brazil and two from germany all left the country 01/01/98. The pilot was tested for blood alcohol and the presence of drugs within the 8 hours limit at rahway hospital, rahway NJ 07065 ordering physician avelino z. verceles MD.

As the FAA filed it

ENTERED SETTLING WITH POWER REGIME LANDING AT HELOPORT. COLLIDED WITH OPS BUILDING. (.4)THE HELICOPTER HAD COMPLETED A SIGHTSEEING TOUR AND WAS RETURNING TO ITS DEPARTURE POINT. THE HELICOPTER APPROACHED THE HELIPORT FROM THE NORTHWEST WITH A TAILWIND AND WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON THE 'TRANSIENT' PAD. THE HELICOPTER OVER FLEW THE TRANSIENT PAD AND COLLIDED WITH THE CONTROL ROOM BUILDING AT THE HELIPORT. THE PILOT SAID THE HELICOPTER 'SETTLED FAST' AS HE APPLIED COLLECTIVE PITCH TO ARREST HIS DESCENT. HE SAID THE HELICOPTER WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE TERMINAL BUILDING TO ATTEMPT A GO-AROUND. THE PILOT ADDED MORE COLLECTIVE PITCH AS HE CAME OVER THE LANDING SURFACE BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE HELICOPTER PRIOR TO COLLISION WITH THE TERMINAL BUILDING. HE REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES WITH THE HELICOPTER. THE WINDS REPORTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE FROM 290 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS. (-23) ON DECEMBER 31, 1997, AT 1625 HOURS EST, AN AEROSPATIALE AS-355, N355DS, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING COLLISION WITH THE PEGASUS OPERATIONS BUILDING FOLLOWING AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT DURING LANDING AT THE WEST 30TH STREET HELIPORT (JRA) NEW YORK, NEW YORK. THE PILOT SUFFERED A MINOR INJURY TO HIS LEFT HAND, 5 PASSENGERS REFUSED MEDICAL AID AT THE SCENE, AND OPERATIONAL GROUND PERSONNEL ESCAPED INJURY. THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST COMPLETED A SIGHTSEEING TOUR. REPORTED WINDS WERE 290/15G25. AIRCRAFT MAGNETIC COMPASS AND H/S/I DISPLAYED 170 DEGREES AFTER IMPACT. WHEN PILOT WAS QUESTIONED AT SCEN, HE STATED THAT AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED HE APPLIED COLLECTIVE, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A RAPID SINK RATE AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO ARREST THE RATE OF DESCENT. PILOT FURTHER STATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS MECHANICALLY SOUND. PASSENGERS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR STATEMENTS. THREE OF THE PASSENGERS WERE FROM BRAZIL AND TWO FROM GERMANY ALL LEFT THE COUNTRY 01/01/98. THE PILOT WAS TESTED FOR BLOOD ALCOHOL AND THE PRESENCE OF DRUGS WITHIN THE 8 HOURS LIMIT AT RAHWAY HOSPITAL, RAHWAY NJ 07065 ORDERING PHYSICIAN AVELINO Z. VERCELES MD.

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 NYC98LA058Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportNew York, NYthe pilot's misjudgment of distance and speed on final approach with a tailwind, and his failure to perform a go-around in a timely manner. A factor in the accident was the strong tailwind.Dec 31, 1997 · Substantial damage