- Date
- June 23, 1984, 20:10 local (Jun 24, 1984, 01:10 UTC)
- Place
- Gilbertsville, KY
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N90414Sikorsky S-55B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840623034469A
- Case key
- 6487
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 acft was used for public rides at an amusement park. During the takeoff to ferry the acft back to an overnight parking space the engine quit at 100 ft AGL. The plt said he started the acft and hovered using fuel from the aft fuel tank. When the engine coughed he landed, switched tanks and took off. After takeoff the engine quit. Investigation showed the aft fuel tank was empty while the forward tank had ruptured. Some fuel lines had been cut for wreckage removal but there was fuel in the line between the carburetor and the fuel pump.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90414
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-55B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 55-3211
- Airframe hours
- 2,215
- Engine
- Wright R-1300-3D, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aerial Research & Develop Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 27, 1984 · 40 hours before
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,550 total · 26 in this make and model · 1,410 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAH, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.