- Date
- September 4, 1983, 03:15 local (10:15 UTC)
- Place
- Ventura, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8500NHughes 369HS
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830904045719A
- Case key
- 23501
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 helicopter was observed descending 'straight down' & 'nose first.' The wreckage was located about 200 yds offshore in about 30 ft of water. Witnesses stated that it was dark & hazy. They were able to see the acft lights, but not the stars. The plt did not hold a rotorcraft helicopter rating. According to acquaintances, the night over-water flight was habitual for the plt, who flew between his two businesses in Ventura, CA & goleta, CA.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8500N
- Reported as
- Hughes 369HS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1000263S
- Engine
- Allison 250-C18, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Jaime Font & Mbk,Inc.
- Registered owner
- Mbk, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 6, 1982
- Departed
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
- Destination
- OXR · Oxnard, 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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 240° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- NTD, 19 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.