- Date
- April 23, 1987, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- De Quincy, LA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N414ASikorsky S-55B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 6, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870423010879A
- Case key
- 22352
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
The pilot experienced an engine surge followed by a complete loss of power during a swath run of a tree spraying ag operation. The helicopter was over a densely wooded area and autorotated into trees. The owner was aware of a carburetor problem and had already obtained a rebuilt carburetor for the engine, however, it had not yet been installed when the accident occurred. A post accident examination of the engine was not conducted. Therefore, the exact cause of the engine failure is undetermined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N414A
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-55B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 55279
- Engine
- Wright R-1300, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Dennis W. Rogers
- Registered owner
- Gulf South
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- 5R8 · Dequiney, LA
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 6,000 in this make and model · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
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 N414A · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.