- Date
- August 25, 1992, 09:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- St. Augustine, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N37800Sikorsky UH-19D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920825035679A
- Case key
- 8652
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
The failure of the engine's exhaust valve rocker arm.
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 pilot stated that as he was beginning his external load operation, the engine lost partial power and he was forced to execute an emergency landing. He stated that he landed hard in the unimproved area, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage as a result of the hard landing. Examination of the engine revealed that a rocker arm failed, resulting in the seizure of the exhaust valve in the open position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N37800
- Reported as
- Sikorsky UH-19D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 55-4944
- Engine
- Curtis Wright R-1300-3, 800 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Operator
- Mitchell III, William L.
- Registered owner
- Mitchell III, William L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 23, 1992 · 1 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
- 49
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 600 in this make and model · 6,800 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 75° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRG, 30 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 N37800 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.