- Date
- January 11, 1993, 17:23 local (22:23 UTC)
- Place
- Tonawanda, NY
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1088ZHughes 269C
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930111000289A
- Case key
- 11866
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
Improper inflight planning/decision by the pilot and his failure to maintain clearance from an obstacle during flight. Factors related to the accident include poor visibility and weather conditions at dusk, and the pilot's excessive airspeed for the conditions.
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 requested and received a special VFR clearance to depart on a radio traffic watch flight into adverse weather conditions. About 90 minutes later, the pilot requested another special VFR clearance to land back at the departure airport. No problems were reported by the pilot. Radar data indicated the helicopter was travelling between 50 and 60 knots and was about 400 feet above the ground just prior to loss of radar contact. The helicopter impacted power transmission lines 194 feet above a river and descended into the river. Low cloud ceilings, an obscured sky, and low visibility prevailed. It was dusk. An examination of the wreckage did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1088Z
- Reported as
- Hughes 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 511057
- Airframe hours
- 2,271
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-D1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Bucholtz Aviation
- Registered owner
- Bucholtz Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 11, 1992 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- IAG · Niagra Falls, NY
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
- 59
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,600 total · 4,050 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 70° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BUF, 8 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.