- Date
- September 14, 1983, 18:23 local (23:23 UTC)
- Place
- Chicago, IL
- Injuries
- 3 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N521ACSikorsky S-76A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830914048899A
- Case key
- 12025
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
While cruising at 2000 ft MSL & 150 KTS, the crew heard a loud noise, and simultaneously, the helicopter yawed aprx 30 to 40 deg to the right & pitched nose down. The aircrew began an autorotation & activated the emergency floats. The helicopter continued in a right descending turn during the autorotation. Touchdown in the water (lake Michigan) occurred with a forward speed of about 40 to 50 KTS. After contacting the water, the helicopter turned an additional 180 deg, then listed about 10 deg to the left. The occupants donned their life vests & exited the helicopter. About 11 to 13 minutes after landing, the acft rolled over in the water & eventually sunk. The occupants were rescued before the helicopter sank. An investigation revealed that the left side tail rotor cable. Pn 76400-03191-043, had failed where it had been rubbing. The rubbing was attributed to incorrect routing of the cable.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N521AC
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-76A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 760159
- Airframe hours
- 631
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30, 969 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Amway Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 13, 1983 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- CGX · Chicago, IL
- Destination
- GRR · Grand Rapids, MI
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
- 29
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,730 total · 220 in this make and model · 3,296 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.