- Date
- June 23, 1988, 16:42 local (20:42 UTC)
- Place
- Moundsville, WV
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N54CSikorsky S-76A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11420
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 contacted power lines shortly after takeoff from a mine site. The nose gear of the helicopter contacted an uninsulated static wire. This wire was strung with one other static wire and two black insulated power lines. Both crew members stated that they saw the black lines and believed their rate of climb would allow adequate clearance. Afterhitting the first set of lines, the helicopter began a descending turn and then contacted a second set of power lines along with a power pole. The helicopter then collided with a switching house and came to rest alongside a earthen supplyslope. None of the wires were marked. The captain stated that he did not see the silver colored static wires.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54C
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-76A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7600116
- Airframe hours
- 2,466
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Conoco, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 15, 1988 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- Moundsville, WV
- Destination
- AGC · Morgantown, WV
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
- 51
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,861 total · 2,052 in this make and model · 11,451 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HLG, 16 nm away