- Date
- April 28, 1990, 08:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- Southfield, MI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N871Sikorsky S-58F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900428012099A
- Case key
- 14529
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
A loss of control due to physical incapacitation for unknown reason(s).
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 hovering in place during a rooftop equipment removal operation when it abruptly descended onto the structure from which the lift was being made. It then nosed over the structure & impacted aprx 10 ft below on the roof of the 15th floor. The workers heard no verbal warning from the pilot. Acoustical analysis of a video revealed that during the descent there was a steady increase in engine, m/r, and t/r RPM. Post mortem exam of the pilot revealed focal atherosclerosis 50% left and right coronary artery, left anterior descending, and left circumflex. The pilot & crew had operated together as a team for 18 yrs & the crew stated that the pilot, with no exceptions, had always notified them by radio when unexpected occurrences caused premature releases.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N871
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-58F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 58-898
- Engine
- Curtis Wright 989 C9HE1, 1,525 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Registered owner
- Command Helicopters, Inc.
- Departed
- NONE
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
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,500 total · 4,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DET, 10 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.