- Date
- December 1, 1993, 15:25 local (20:25 UTC)
- Place
- Walterboro, SC
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8503JSikorsky H34-G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931201045769A
- Case key
- 3330
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 seizure of the aircraft throttle to engine linkage for unknown reasons.
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 conducting long line external logging operations. The pilot stated that he was at a hover, without a load, and the aircraft throttle seized at about half throttle. He executed a forced landing into a group of trees, and the aircraft received substantial damage. Inspection of the throttle and throttle linkage to the engine did not reveal any malfunction.
Factual narrative
On December 1, 1993, at about 1525 eastern standard time, a Sikorsky H34-G, N8503J, was substantially damaged following a collision with terrain near Walterboro, South Carolina. The commercial pilot received minor injuries in the accident. The helicopter was being operated under 14 CFR Part 133 by Helicopter Lumberjacks of Paragold, Arkansas. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed for the local, logging operation.
The pilot stated that while at a hover during logging operations, the throttle stuck at a partial power setting, and he was forced to execute an emergency landing in the trees. The aircraft was substantially damaged during the emergency landing.
Inspection of the throttle linkage to the engine following the accident did not reveal any malfunction of the linkage or throttle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8503J
- Reported as
- Sikorsky H34-G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 138471
- Airframe hours
- 6,203
- Engine
- Curtis Wright 989C9HE2, 1,525 lbs thrust, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Operator
- William L. Mitchell III, doing business as Helicopter Lumberjacks
- Registered owner
- William L. Mitchell III
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 10, 1992 · 319 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
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,800 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 7,500 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CHS, 45 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.