- Date
- December 7, 1983, 12:29 local (20:29 UTC)
- Place
- Black Mountain, NV
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N57901Aerospatiale AS 355F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831207063309A
- Case key
- 23914
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 tookoff on an air ambulance flt at about 1219 PST. According to tower personnel, the departure appeared normal. Radar service was terminated at 1227 & there was no further radio contact with the helicopter. Later, the helicopter was found where it had crash landed on steep mountainous terrain, rolled over & burned. An investigation revealed an open logbook entry that the #1 torque transmitter was inop. A person near the departure point noticed the l eng cowling was loose. A short time later, a 3' x 4' piece of eng cowling was observed to fall from the helicopter. There was no indication in the aircrew's radio transmissions that they were aware of the cowling problem. An exam revealed evidence that the cowling standout tube for the l eng had rubbed against the free wheeling turbine governor cable. Aerospatiale psnl said this could decrease fuel flow to the l eng; at hi power, the r eng governor would then increase its fuel flow & exceed limits unless plt compensated. R fuel shutoff valve was found near its closed position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57901
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS 355F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- AS-355F
- Airframe hours
- 961
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20F, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Craig Huntington, doing business as Helicopter West, Inc.[Ems]
- Registered owner
- Rts Helicopter Service Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 6, 1983 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- NV53 · Las Vegas, NV
- Destination
- Needles, CA
- 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
- 39
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,300 total · 400 in this make and model · 5,200 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 75 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.