- Date
- March 22, 1982, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Near Brideport, CA
- Injuries
- 4 serious, 3 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9829CAerospatiale SA316B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 22, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820322004739A
- Case key
- 71851
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
After taking off in a mountainous area, the pilot began climbing in up-currents on the side of a canyon. While following a ridge at about 100 ft AGL (11,000 ft MSL), he heard a loud noise that was followed by a shudder and vibrations. The helicopter began descending rapidly. The pilot turned toward the ridge and the helicopter impacted in a snowfield. An examination revealed that the oil filter cover of the gear box had separated. A tapered pin which was used to secure the cover had sheared from overload. A disassembly of the main transmission revealed that the lower planetary gear had failed from oil starvation. Only 20 mm of oil was found in the bottom of the transmission case.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9829C
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale SA316B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1242
- Airframe hours
- 7,253
- Engine
- Turbomecca ARTOUSTE IIIB, 858 lbs thrust, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Mammoth Heli-Ski Tioyabe Corp.
- Registered owner
- Robert'S Aircraft, Inc.
- Departed
- Private Helipor, CA
- Destination
- Victoria Peak, CA
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 8,092 total · 241 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Temperature
- 113 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MTH, 41 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.