- Date
- March 1, 1983, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- E. Cameron
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3593DAerospatiale AS-350D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830301061079I
- Case key
- 20776
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
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
During an approach to an oil drilling rig platform, the engine decelerated as the pilot started to all power. With the acft below the landing area, he maneuvered to miss the platform & initiated an autorotative landing. He made a mayday call & tried to electrically deploy the emergency floats; however, the right float failed to inflate & there was insufficient time for manual deployment. Immediately on touchdown, the helicopter rolled over & began to fill with water. Reportedly, there was only minor damage from water immersion. No preimpact discrepancies were found that would have caused the power loss. The wires to the right float (for electrical deployment) were worn in two at a center hex head screw. A fleet inspection of 37 acft revealed that 60% were worn thru in the same area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3593D
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS-350D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1060
- Airframe hours
- 3,486
- Engine
- Lycoming LTS-101, 531 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Petroleum Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · February 18, 1983 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- E. Cameron 33a, GM
- Destination
- E. Cameron 42b, GM
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,286 total · 393 in this make and model · 2,014 as pilot in command · 122 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TR4, 7 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.