- Date
- October 14, 1991, 09:02 local (14:02 UTC)
- Place
- Mt. Vernon, AL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N55714Kaman HH-43B/F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911014046499A
- Case key
- 8535
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor in the accident was the lack of a suitable landing site.
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 was being repositioned from an operating barge to the base helipad for refueling. En route the engine speed rolled back to flight idle, uncommanded. An autorotative landing was made in a shallow lake. The helicopter rolled on its side and destroyed the main rotor blades. A subsequent examionation of the engine and its accessories failed to reveal the reason for the roll back.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55714
- Reported as
- Kaman HH-43B/F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 62-4528
- Airframe hours
- 5,577
- Engine
- Lycoming T-53-L-13B, 1,151 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Scott Paper Company
- Registered owner
- Scott Paper Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 10, 1991 · 8 hours before
- Airport
- NONE · Scott Heliport, runway 1
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,250 total · 1,150 in this make and model · 13,100 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MOB, 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.
Other investigations on N55714 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.