# Accident 19971231039849A: Aerosp AS355F, New York, NY, December 31, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 31, 1997, 16:25 local time
- Place: New York, NY
- Airport: Port Authority-West
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.7500° N, 73.9995° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7500&lon=-73.9995&mi=10
- Aircraft: N355DS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N355DS-1999-03-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerospatiale AS355F TWINSTAR (registry code 8680807, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as355f-twinstar) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSP AS355F
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20F
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 4,500 total, 120 in this make and model, 160 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC98LA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA058) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971231039849A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC98LA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA058), Dec 31, 1997: Aerospatiale AS-355 (N355DS), New York, NY, substantial damage. Probable cause: the 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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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