- Date
- February 4, 1985, 08:53 local (14:53 UTC)
- Place
- Sabine Pass, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5796AAerospatiale AS 355F-1
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850204059109A
- Case key
- 21667
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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
While en route at an alt of 500 to 700 ft, the #1 eng spooled down. The plt secured the #1 eng & turned back toward the heliport to make a single eng landing. However, he could not maintain level flt & the rotor RPM began dropping. The plt noted that the #2 eng had hi temp (above 900 degs) & low torque. Subsequently, he inflated the popout floats & made a partial power landing in a marsh. Due to low rotor RPM, the helicopter touched down hard & was damaged. The #1 eng was removed & checked in a test cell & it operated normally. The #2 eng was damaged; however, it's fuel management sys checked normal. The acft was being flown in rain showers without using the eng anti-ice. Operator personnel suspected that inlet icing caused the #1 eng to flame out & the #2 eng to lose partial power. A witness estimated the surface air temp was 33 degs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5796A
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS 355F-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 5156
- Airframe hours
- 3,158
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20F, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Petroleum Helicopters Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 2,554 total · 496 in this make and model · 2,523 as pilot in command · 170 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5796A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.