20040504020969A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Snias AS350BA · Brooklyn, NY · May 4, 2004

Date: May 4, 2004 · 18:22 local
Place: Brooklyn, NY
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N4NY
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC04FA117
Reported as: Snias AS350BA
Reported engine: TMECA ARRIEL1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,500 total470 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N4NYRegistration cancelled Sep 22, 2005 · Aerospatiale AS350BAS/N 2121 · Built 1988 Airframe modelAerospatiale AS350BA Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-1SERTurbo-shaft

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.

(-23) N4NY, acting as "chopper 4", for channel 4 news was hovering, observing police activity in Brooklyn, NY. The pilot advised ATC that he had a tail rotor failure and was heading for sears roebuck (parking lot). The pilot then transmitted "chopper 4 going down". The aircraft impacted the roof of 2502 cortilyou road and came to rest on the roof of 2514 cortilyou road. The pilot and one passenger were hospitalized with serious injuries. The second passenger was hospitalized with minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The tail rotor pitch control link was found to have broken. The belt which drives the hydraulic pump was found to have broken. It has not been determined if these components failed, in flight, or as a result of impact. The NTSB and the aircraft manufacturer continue to investigate.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) N4NY, ACTING AS "CHOPPER 4", FOR CHANNEL 4 NEWS WAS HOVERING, OBSERVING POLICE ACTIVITY IN BROOKLYN, NY. THE PILOT ADVISED ATC THAT HE HAD A TAIL ROTOR FAILURE AND WAS HEADING FOR SEARS ROEBUCK (PARKING LOT). THE PILOT THEN TRANSMITTED "CHOPPER 4 GOING DOWN". THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE ROOF OF 2502 CORTILYOU ROAD AND CAME TO REST ON THE ROOF OF 2514 CORTILYOU ROAD. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE HOSPITALIZED WITH SERIOUS INJURIES. THE SECOND PASSENGER WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE TAIL ROTOR PITCH CONTROL LINK WAS FOUND TO HAVE BROKEN. THE BELT WHICH DRIVES THE HYDRAULIC PUMP WAS FOUND TO HAVE BROKEN. IT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED IF THESE COMPONENTS FAILED, IN FLIGHT, OR AS A RESULT OF IMPACT. THE NTSB AND THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE.

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 NYC04FA117Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportBrooklyn, NYThe pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter after a loss of hydraulic system pressure due to a failure of the hydraulic pump belt. Factors in this accident were the pilot's misidentification of a hydraulic failure, the pilot's subsequent failure…May 4, 2004 · Destroyed