# NTSB ERA11WA472: Agusta AW139, Brazil, August 19, 2011

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Foreign investigation
- Date: August 19, 2011, 19:48 local (19:48 UTC)
- Place: Brazil
- Phase of flight: [Emergency descent](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/600) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Emergency descent: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 4 fatal
- Status: Led by another country's authority
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Lead agency: Other
- Parties: FAA/IFO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 81604
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA11WA472
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/81604/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=81604
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11WA472

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Hydraulic power system: hydraulic, main system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022910): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 27 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022910/cases.md)
- [Action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041000): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 111 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041000/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute-climb to cruise: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330); cases with it: [All aircraft, 994 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md)
- [Emergency descent: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)
- [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Factual narrative

On August 19, 2011, at 1948 coordinated universal time (16:48 local time), an Agusta, AW139, helicopter, Brazilian registration PT-SEK, impacted into the Atlantic Ocean, near an oil rig, identifier P-65, the helicopter sank in waters with a recorded floor depth of 100 meters (328 feet). The 2 person flight crew and 2 passengers have not been located and are presumed killed. The flight had just departed P-65 and was en route to Macae Municipality, Rio de Janerio, Brazil, at the time of the accident. The investigation is under the direction of the Government of Brazil. For further information contact: Aeronautical Accident Prevention and Investigation Center Investigative Division SHIS-QI 05-VI COMAR Brasilia-DF, Brazil 71.615-600 Tel: (55-61) 3364-8812 Email: dipaa.spai@cenipa.aer.mil.br This report is for informational purposes, and only contains information released by the government of Brazil.

## Aircraft

- Registration: PR-SEK (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: AGUSTA AW139
- Category: Helicopter
- Serial number: 31081
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Non-U.S., commercial
- Operator: Senior Taxi Aereo Ltda.
- Registered owner: Senior Taxi Aereo Ltda.
- Departed: 9PSD, P-65 Oil Rig
- Destination: SBME, Rio de Janerio
- Flight plan: Unknown

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC)

## Docket (1 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2011, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=81604. 7 KB in all.

- Miscellaneous: Official Memo (item 1, .PDF, 7 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40353140&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%3A%20Official%20Memo-Master.PDF

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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