- Date
- August 6, 1983, 16:10 local (20:10 UTC)
- Place
- Gatlingurg, TN
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6488Sikorsky S-58D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830806039309A
- Case key
- 5941
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The helicopter collided with terrain on a wooded mountainside after liftoff. The plt said a power loss occurred after itwas to late to abort. Takeoff was made from a lot that was 5200 ft MSL. The plt hover-checked at 2500 RPM and 39.5 inches of manifold pressure prior to transition to forward flt. The acft climbed only 20 ft before powerloss occurred. There were no chip lights or unusual engine gage readings. This was the plts 65th trip for the day. During the impact the the right landing gear collapsed. During the investigation the compression was found to be low on 4 cylinders, two of which were zero. TSO was 573 hours. The carburetor inlet screen was partially blocked with fiber lint. Compression was being lost through the exhaust valves. Fuel filter were partially obstructed with contaminants from fuel drums at a worksite.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6488
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-58D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 581573
- Airframe hours
- 8,247
- Engine
- Wright R-1820-84, 1,475 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- St. Louis Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · April 6, 1983 · 78 hours before
- Destination
- 3A9 · Sevierville, TN
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,430 total · 3,630 in this make and model · 5,230 as pilot in command · 141 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.