- Date
- June 18, 1991, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mcclusky, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6735Sikorsky H-19-UH19D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910618022439A
- Case key
- 14871
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
Failure of the engine blower/supercharger assembly. A factor related to the accident was: no suitable terrain in which to make an immediate emergency landing.
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
Pilot was making a spray run along a canal approximately 75 feet below ground level. He began to climb out of the canal. He lost all power as he cleared the canal edge and made a hard landing. The main rotor blades severed the tail boom on landing. Investigation revealed a failure of the blower/supercharger seal.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6735
- Reported as
- Sikorsky H-19-UH19D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 54-1416
- Airframe hours
- 3,100
- Engine
- Wright R-1300, 700 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Shawn B. Morten
- Registered owner
- Shawn B. Morten
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 30, 1990 · 35 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
- 31
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,800 total · 150 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.