- Date
- November 8, 1983, 20:00 local (Nov 9, 1983, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cameron, LA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5444XSikorsky S76A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831108074489I
- Case key
- 21160
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
The helicopter was on initial climb when the #1 engine failed explosivly. A post explosion fire ensued and both fire bottles were utilized to no avail. During landing the gear collapsed and the acft settled on its belly. The cause of the engine failure is undetermined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5444X
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S76A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 760174
- Airframe hours
- 2,994
- Engine
- Allison 250C30, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Petroleum Helicopters Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- 7R5 · Petroleum Helt
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 11,062 total · 1,574 in this make and model · 9,642 as pilot in command · 132 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 40° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Observed at
- LCH, 23 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.